


Fortunes of Deception

by sir_jessica



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16372256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sir_jessica/pseuds/sir_jessica
Summary: AU. Emma Swan and Regina Mills have always had one thing in common: they are both the daughters to rival crime families; the Nolans and the Mills. When the two women meet under tense circumstances, will they give in to their blood-bred hatred, or will they choose to unite for the common good, and perhaps even leave their lives of bloodshed and betrayal behind? Rated T for now.





	1. Deception

Small, dusty steps reverberated off every wall, a single shadow shrinking and growing among the various poles, risers, and signs lining the path.  She sighed, counting her steps as she went. That was how she made it to her destination every day. That was how she forced her mind to cease into the shallows of a broken rhythm instead of diving directly into darkness.

 

_Two-hundred twenty-three, two hundred twenty-four, two hundred twenty-five..._

 

This particular stretch of the pier was usually quiet; a stagnant patch of boats swooshing, tiny lights stretched along like fireflies stuck in place were usually what greeted her.  After all, this was her parents’ side of the pier. Every person that knew what was good for them stayed away to avoid the onslaught of police questioning whenever anyone did seem to wander too far in.  But tonight, it was different. She knew as soon as she saw _him_ that this was not going to be a typical delivery.  Forcing a heavy breath, she marked her arrival with a furious huff in his direction.

 

_Two hundred thirty-seven, two-hundred thirty-eight..._

 

“Aye, love.  Come to collect the treasure?  Or is it finally me you’re after?”  A snake-like smirk crossed the man’s features, expelling his tongue over his front teeth and licking in his lips in what he must have thought was a smooth gesture.

 

“Can it, Jones.”  She spat, angling her body so she could get a better view of the small cargo ship breaching the orange and yellow hues radiating from each lamp post.  “I thought it was only going to be me tonight.”

 

“Are you afraid Mommy and Daddy are demoting you?”

 

“Nope.  Would be a blessing if they did, but you’ve fucked up so many times they’d never let me go now,” her throat thickened as she said it, the very truth of the statement almost numbing her entirely.

 

“Time to prove it.  Ready for this, Swan?”  His dark eyes connected with hers for a moment, and she wished so hard his tacky leather trench coat would swallow him and his greasy hair whole.  But even the dead skin of an animal would know better. He was a gutter rat - the coat, at least, would surely have some sense of class.

 

“Don’t call me that.  And what should I be ready for?  This is a normal delivery. Get the merchandise, get out.  Quick and easy.”

 

The laugh that ripped from his throat made her hair stand on end.  She’d rarely heard such laughs in her life, but that deep, guttural, and raw noise erupting like a sick howl in the moonlight coming from her unwanted companion only meant that she was bound to meet an unforeseen fate.

 

“Oh, Emma.  Did they not tell you?  We’re _stealing_ this one for ourselves.  This one belongs to the Mills.  I intercepted their contact myself to change the final destination,” he smirked, glossy black eyes glinting wildly as he chuckled proudly of his deception.

 

“What?”  She whipped her head, wavy blonde hair fraying out of frame around her.  Narrowed eyes pinned the man where he stood. “You’re joking.” The glare in her eyes was a threat, no longer a warning.

 

“‘Fraid not,” he nearly whispered, realizing that even with his prominent muscles, Emma was superior to him in skill and experience, though he’d never admit as much, so it was best to appease her as long as she was in control.

 

Emma’s heart dropped straight to her feet, reminding her of a penny thrown to seek the bottom of the deepest well.  Her body then went rigid, the beating of a frantic heart bursting through her ears as a menacing wave of nausea tore through a quivering abdomen.

 

She had no idea why her parents would have led her into this.  They weren’t good people, of that much she knew for sure. But they had never deliberately put her into situations that could likely get her killed.  A wrong deal had happened every now and again, luckily her quick wit and bravado kept her on the winning side. Emma Swan was usually the one sent to clean up the messes of others, sending waves of fear through anyone she felt had crossed her.  She was rarely, if ever, the cause of any mess. Never had she imagined her own flesh and blood would send her into what would no doubt be a fool’s errand.

 

The Mills, as much her own blood boiled over the mere thought of the pompous, sanctimonious family, kept their business dealings secure and clean of any trace of their fingerprints.  They were smart, and irritatingly so, which made Emma’s blood boil even more because after all these years, she actually _respected_ them in a sick, torturous way.  It only made what she was going to have to do even harder.  Even after ten years of this, she’d never laid a hand on anyone she could effectively categorize as innocent.  Tonight, she would have to act on survival only, leaving her thirst for morbid justice (and if she were completely honest, vengeance, too) behind.  The poor souls now a mere fifty feet away from her had no idea they were currently on their last breath.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, darling, just go and humor your father already, will you?”

 

“Why can’t Daddy get someone else to go?”

 

“Regina, please.  It is because you are the most skilled, and this is a very important night.  You know how long he’s been planning this. He’s worked so hard to ensure the safety of this town.  It’s not his fault his flight didn’t leave in time to be here. Now, stop fussing and be a good daughter.”

 

Dark chocolate eyes rolled beneath a dramatically arched brow, half-amused, half-irritated at being spoken to like a screaming toddler.  That was her mother, though. Cora always had a way of being too gentle with her admonishment to the point that Regina often felt she were about to be offered a bottle and bedtime story of evil queens and runaway princesses.

 

“Fine.  Where exactly am I supposed to go?”  Regina refrained from huffing it out.  Her mother was a warrior of manners.

 

“The docks south of the city park.  You know the one your father kept that rusty bucket he called a yacht?”  Cora and Regina both snickered at the memory. Henry Mills was a proud man, but his taste was always humble.  That boat had been a source of animosity between him and his wife, who hated the rough treatment the water’s sway on her stomach and had thrown up over the side of it far too many times to count, and repeatedly commented that the wretched thing would collapse if even a small fly landed on a vulnerable spot.  Regina, on the other hand, adored it as her father did. She could still taste the fresh wind rushing against her face as she watched the vast fathom of blue crash against the hull beneath her. The day her father returned home to say he sold it, Regina had all but thrown herself out the window to convince him to get it back.

 

“The Queen of Hearts,” Regina smiled softly, remembering the silly name her father had given the old vessel.  Strands of dark hair cut into her vision before she shook them away, sighing, “I couldn’t forget it if I tried.”

 

“Yes, well, you did have a strange sentimental attachment to that abhorrent thing.  Well, off you go, then. You needn’t check in tonight, dear. I trust everything to go well.”

  
  
“Yes, mother.”

 

Bidding her mother goodbye with a kiss to the cheek, she walked past the massive and intricately carved mahogany door that guarded the front of the monumental Mills mansion and stepped into the brisk air of the night.

 

* * *

 

“What exactly are we supposed to do?  Just take everything and run?” Emma pondered, mostly to herself, as Jones wasn’t the most competent companion on a mission like this.  Emma always worked with a plan. Always. Jones was more of a make-it-up-as-you-go kind of guy. But Emma hadn’t any time to prepare for this.   _Was this a sick test to prove her worth?  Hadn’t she proved it enough already?_

 

“If everything plays out the way it should, we won’t have to do anything but accept the crates, sign off and pay, then go.”  Jones offered, unconvincingly, considering his eyes never met hers.

 

“Yeah, and when does anything play out as it should when you’re involved?”  She asked, eyes flaring at the cocky moron that was likely to get her killed.

 

“Quiet, love.  They might hear you,” he put his finger to his lips and pointed at the men now approaching them.

 

Rolling her eyes and shuffling forward to get a better look at the unfamiliar men, Emma reached her right arm behind her back and kept it hovered over the gun she had hidden in the back of her jeans and underneath her rusty red leather jacket.  Her usual tank tops were not quite enough to conceal it, so she wore that jacket everywhere she went. A girl can never be too careful in her line of work, if you could call it that.

 

“Evening, gentlemen!”  Jones called out as the distance between the two parties drew closer.

 

They said nothing, merely scanning over Jones and Emma, their surroundings, and appearing to contemplate if they should cut and run, or continue as planned.

 

They went with the latter.

 

“I was under instruction to port here, was it you I spoke to?”  One of the men finally spoke up. They were all wearing black suits with white vest and white ties, looking as though they had just come from an elaborate black and white party.

 

“Aye, that’s me.  Sorry about the last-minute change.  Word is the police are watching the docks south of here,” Jones took a few steps, hand extended towards the other man, “I’m Jones.  This here is Swan.”

 

Emma scowled, resisting every urge to knock Jones unconscious.  She changed her last name deliberately so she wouldn’t constantly be associated with her parents, but he seemed to be insistent on making that a moot point.

 

“Midas.  It’s nice to meet you both,” the man shook Jones’ proffered hand and smiled at Emma.  Not one of the usual seedy smiles Emma was used to seeing from these types, no, but a _genuine_ , kind, tooth-heavy smile.  She groaned internally, hoping Jones would be right for once.  He usually had a habit of leaving lifeless bodies trailing behind him wherever he went.

 

“Would you like us to begin unloading now?  We were assured you’d provide payment after all inventory is accounted for.”

 

Jones nodded, “We’ll wait here.”

 

With that, the group of men, Midas leading in the front, turned around to start the task of moving the crates onto the pier.

 

Emma moved closer to him, leaning far too closely to his ear than she would have liked, and whispered, “What kind of inventory, exactly, are we getting here?”

 

“A whole lotta guns, love.”

 

“Guns?  The Mills don’t have any market in guns.  They’re the saints of organized crime, remember?  Nonviolent and sober and all that. What the hell is going on here?  Why are they getting _a whole lotta guns_?”

 

“It’s true.  They don’t have a market in guns.  Their plan was to destroy them to prevent them from landing in, say, _our_ hands, according to your father’s informant.  Aren’t you tired of their goody-goody act? They’re responsible for just as many body bags as the rest of us.  Time to start taking for ourselves now, don’t you think?”

 

 _No_ , Emma thought.  She honestly hated the gun trade her parents continually demanded to take part in.  She shivered at the thought of how many innocents had been killed due in part to her parents’ relentless ability to compartmentalize the lives of unknown others versus those close to them, which was very small in number.  She had actually refused to watch over deals and trades involving illegal firearms time and time again. Which certainly explained why she hadn’t been informed of her true purpose on the pier tonight.

 

* * *

 

Regina’s sensible but stylishly heeled combat boots clicked on the wooden boards.  She had already been pacing back and forth for thirty minutes, but the ship she was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet.  She was told they would arrive at 8:00, which she was relieved at first when she made it a few minutes late to see she wasn’t the only one behind schedule.  Now, however, she was beginning to worry.

 

 _Click, click, click._  Turn.   _Click, click, click._  She scanned the area again, but nothing came into view from any direction on the water.

 

_What if…_

 

A solid mass formed in her throat.   _Of course.  This had the Nolans written all over it._

 

Against her better judgement, she darted off to the deserted area she had parked her car, diving gracefully into her black Mercedes Benz, and sped off in the direction of the dreaded, informally named, Nolan’s Pier.

 

 _This is the stupidest thing I may have ever done_ , she thought, almost out loud.  Truth be told, she’d do just about any stupid thing for her father.   _I’ll fix this, Daddy._

 

* * *

 

Once the crates had been unloaded from the ship, checked for contents, and signed off of the manifest Midas had provided Jones, and put into the back of an unmarked trailer Jones had attached to the back of his oversized truck, Emma let go of the breath she felt she had been holding since the entire encounter had begun.  Based on the manifest, she calculated that there were close to a quarter-million dollars worth of illegal firearms alone, and about a hundred thousand of explosives. Dread filled her to her very core at the thought of these being put into the hands of inexperienced and unstable individuals. Part of her wanted to tell Midas what was really happening, but knew she’d wind up dead if she confessed to their scam, and not by his hand, but by Jones.  Or worse, her own parents.

 

Jones and Emma bid the men farewell, sending them off with their briefcases each containing a small fortune, and began walking back to the truck with Jones discussing their next step.

 

“Whoa, no.  I’m going home now.  My job was to oversee, make sure the transaction went smoothly.  That’s it, and you know it,” the words coming out of Emma’s mouth were almost shrill with frustration.  She had enough to do with this entire ordeal; she was not going to stick around any longer than she had to.

 

“Trust me, I know your _highness_ thinks you’re done here.  But you know what, _Swan_ ?” he hissed at her, “I’m tired of _you_ constantly taking the credit for how hard _I_ work for the Nolans.  Your parents think you’re all sugar and spice and shit, but not anymore.  This one is _mine_.  So now, I’m going to steal your thunder.  Say goodnight, love,” he grabbed her arm and wrenched her sideways, slamming her into the side of the truck.

 

Gasping for the air that had just been knocked out of her, she didn’t hear the patter of footsteps echoing nearby, and before she could fully catch her breath, a sharp, cold sensation to the side of her face made her drop to her knees.  Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jones lifted his gun once more and hit her head again with unimaginable force. Emma fell completely over that time, flat on her back, chest heaving, and eyes blurring over as a large shadow entered her vision - a person, perhaps - and then, finally, everything faded into darkness.

 

* * *

 

Moving as swiftly as she could, Regina had no idea what she was going to do when she finally arrived to where she was desperately headed.  Thanks to a loud crack splitting the air, she stopped, and knew exactly her plan of action. At the sight in front of her - a flash of blonde hair and a red jacket crumpling to the ground - she sprung into action without further contemplation.

 

Pulling her gun quicker than the man before her could raise his, she approached him, barrel staring him down between the eyes, and with all the confidence she could muster, Regina opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Raise your weapon and I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger,” at her words, he lowered his gun down to his hip, “Good.  Now, do you work for the Nolans?”

 

The man ran his fingers over his sorry excuse for a beard, and looked Regina up and down before deciding to respond.  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t _princess_ Mills.  Welcome to my party.  It seems to me, though, you’ve forgotten one very important thing.”

 

“And what would that be?”

 

“You haven’t taken the safety off your gun, princess,” he began to raise his arm up, attempting to get an aim on her.  Before he could completely get a good shot, two unbearably loud shots rang beside his ears, causing him to drop the gun and bend down in pain, covering his ears with his now empty hands.

 

“It seems to me you’ve forgotten that a Glock doesn’t have a safety, moron.  Answer the question, or I will show you how much pain a princess can inflict on the likes of you.”  Regina was shouting now, making sure the inevitable ringing in his ears wouldn’t drown out her voice.

 

His eyes blackened instantly, his deranged mind awakening with glee at such a challenge, and from none other than Regina Mills herself.

 

“You never know, love.  I might like it,” he sneered.

 

“Who are you, then?”  She countered, ignoring what was probably his idea of a come-on.

 

“If I’m not telling you that I work for the Nolans, what makes you think I’d actually give you my name?  It’s a good thing you’re pretty ‘cause you’re not very smart.”

 

Ignoring his vile comments once again, she smiled at him and let out a low, ironic chuckle.  “You just told me who you work for, idiot. It’s a shame your pretty-boy eyeliner seems to be weighing down your brain.  Hard to think clearly, is it?”

 

“Have you met Emma here?  She was always pretty sure of herself too.  Doesn’t look like she’s fighting too hard now, does it?  Maybe if you women stopped asking so many questions, you’d see what’s right in front of you,” his eyes moved past her, “or in your case, what’s right behind you.”

 

Just as Regina turned to follow his gaze, she felt a swift blow catch the back of her head and, just like Emma, went down to her knees.  She raised her gun to the light-haired main that blurred around her now, shooting off a few lazy rounds before losing consciousness completely and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

 

“Damn, I think that bitch got me.  Right there, see?”

 

Inspecting his new arrival’s arm, Jones patted him on the back, smiling and confirming, “She sure did.  Just a flesh wound, though. Don’t worry, Robin. These bitches will get what’s coming to them. It’s time we show the Nolans and the Mills they’ve been treating us like lap dogs for long enough.  Let’s go dispatch the witnesses on the ship. And then, we’ll have some fun.”


	2. Captives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. Emma Swan and Regina Mills have always had one thing in common: they are both the daughters to rival crime families; the Nolans and the Mills. When the two women meet under tense circumstances, will they give in to their blood-bred hatred, or will they choose to unite for the common good, and perhaps even leave their lives of bloodshed and betrayal behind?

Emma awoke flat on her back to a deafening throb in her ears and a tingling sensation in her arms.  Trying to sit up, she realized her arms were bound behind her back with rope and her mouth covered in duct tape.  Rocking upward with as much force as she could muster, she managed to sit upright. The force of the movement filled her head with cotton, clouding her vision, almost knocking her back again.  Disoriented and groggy, she squinted to look around. It was dark, but despite the blur in her peripherals she could make out that she was in a basement. Small, high windows glowed with moonlight, a grimy and leaking sink sat in the far corner, surrounded by narrow but tall cupboards, and a metal table that seemed to have lost its sheen was perched in the very center of the room.  Two doors were visible; a deep, blood red door was directly in the center of the opposite wall, and a white one in the right corner next to her.

 

When she looked more closely to her left, Emma’s breath caught in her throat.  From what she could make out from the pale moonlight peeking in was a beautiful brunette lying on her side with her hands tied behind her back in the same fashion as Emma’s, as well as the tape over her mouth.  A strange feeling of familiarity flooded her mind as she studied the woman before her.

 

Just as the brunette’s eyes began to open, the red door Emma observed seconds earlier swung forward with so much force it caused the walls to quake, revealing Jones and a man Emma hadn’t recognized, but his presence made her hair prickly as though she’d seen a ghost.

 

Emma began to speak, but no more than a mere mumble escaped the heavy layer of tape over her lips.  Furrowing her brows, an exasperated huff escaped through her nostrils instead.

 

Jones and Robin moved closer into the room, pale blue light danced in shadows along their faces that were clearly amused by Emma’s frustration.

 

“You know, I always did enjoy you more when you were insulting me.  Really added a challenge to things, didn’t it? Here,” Jones leaned over Emma now, reaching his hand out, and before she saw it coming, tore the tape from her mouth with the speed of a cat swatting an enemy.  “Is that better?”

 

She winced briefly at the pain induced by adhesive taking a layer or two of her skin with it.  Without missing a beat she stared him down the same way she had earlier at the pier, almost whispering, “You do know this will never work, right?  Or have you always been this genuinely clueless?”

 

“Now, now, Swan.  You know as well as I do your parents trust me more than you.  They’ll believe anything I tell them. And thanks to our special guest,” he gestured to the woman still lying beside Emma, “we now have a bargaining chip.  If you run and tell dear old Mom and Dad what I’ve done, which I know you would if you could escape me, I’d have no choice but to tell them that you tried to frame me when I discovered you conspiring with the one and only Regina Mills.”

 

If Emma’s face didn’t make her confusion obvious, her stuttered mumblings were a big red flag.   _Is that why she was so damn familiar?  Was that really_ the _Regina Mills laying next to her?_  Taking a few deep, slow breaths she finally responded, “How did she get involved in this anyway?  Was that your master plan? To go after her and kidnap her, too? And who is that ferret looking asshole over there?”

 

Jones moved aside, allowing for a better view of his accomplice.  The blonde man approached slowly, an obvious but awkward attempt at intimidation.  “Robin Locksley. But you know me already, don’t you Regina?”

 

This had the brunette’s full attention, who was now sitting upright beside Emma, eyes locked to Robin’s in a steely gaze.  Noticing Emma’s questioning sideways stare, Regina nodded as if to say yes.

 

“But,” Robin bent down slowly in front of Emma extending his arms and lifting her up from under her shoulders.  He closed the distance between them and whispered quietly in her ear, “you know me, too,” he paused, “intimately.   _But you’re not fighting so hard this time,_ ” he hissed.

 

On instinct, Emma shot her knee forward, making contact where she knew would hurt his ego the most.  He stumbled back several feet, spewing profanities with his hands between his legs. In truth, Emma knew exactly who he was as soon as she felt his hot breath in her ear.  She’d spend many years trying to forget it, but it was as engrained in her being as her need to breathe.

 

“Looks like my fight came back, jackass.”

 

“Not for long,” Jones interrupted, pulling his gun and pointing the silver barrel at Regina’s temple, “another stunt like that and I’ll kill her, and then I’ll kill you.  Got it?” At Emma’s nod, a loud cry of pain ripped out as Regina’s voice was finally freed of its captivity. “Anything you’ve got to say, Princess Mills?”

 

Instead of speaking, Regina merely shook her head, never once shedding any layer of strength and confidence, maintaining eye contact with the man still holding the cool metal against her face.

 

The whole room tensed when a buzzing escaped Jones’ pocket and for a moment, Regina was grateful the sound hadn’t startled Jones enough to prematurely pull the trigger.

 

“That has to be my parents by now, Jones.  Would you like me to answer for you?” Emma taunted, and as his eyes met her face, she winked.  Knowing it probably wasn’t in her best interest to continue goading him, she found she just couldn’t help herself.

 

“Don’t you say a word.  Both of you,” he made a show of waving his armed hand between the two women and answered the call.  Indistinct chatter came from the tiny speaker now pressed to Jones’ ear, but Emma could tell it was indeed her father’s voice.

 

“Yes, Mr. Nolan.  Everything went well, all things considered.”

 

“Oh, no, nothing like that.  Emma just seems to have taken off again.  You know how she likes to run when she does a hard job.”

 

Emma had to hold back a scoff at that.  She never ran from a difficult assignment, that was Jones’ signature move.  She only ran after her job was finished to seek solitary solace away from the world she never even wanted to be a part of.

 

“Of course, Mr. Nolan.  Robin and I will be on our way now.”

 

After pocketing his phone, he focused his attention once more on the kidnapped women.

 

“If you try anything while we’re gone, you don’t want to know what I’ll do to you.  Don’t even sneeze, or I’ll have Robin get reacquainted with you, Emma.”

 

She could feel Robin’s eyes on her but made no attempt to meet his, and let out a loud breath as she could hear both their footsteps retreating.

 

Closing the door with as much haste as they had opened it, Jones and Robin were finally gone.

 

* * *

 

An eternity seemed to pass before either woman spoke.  The monotonous drip of the leaky sink never failed to send a jolt of anxiety throughout both of their bodies with every _plop_.  Eventually it had seemed neither were going to make any attempt at communication, until Emma finally couldn’t take it anymore.  She’d rather have been shot than have to endure these long, miserable minutes against her will in silence.

 

“I’m going to look for something to cut these ropes.  Care to help, or are you not interested in getting out of here?”

 

“Why should I help you, Emma _Nolan_?”  The name escaped Regina’s lips like it was lathered in icy venom.

 

It didn’t seem Emma was going to get her to work through this together as easily as she had hoped.   _Shame_ , she thought, _under any other circumstances, I’d be asking to take her out for drinks_ .  The blonde cleared her throat, ridding her mind of any unnecessary thoughts pertaining to the undeniably attractive  woman mere feet from her. “First off, it’s Emma _Swan_ .  I may be their blood, but I am _not_ a Nolan.  And clearly, we’re both trapped here so it’s not like it’s my fault you’re here, as much as it isn’t your fault I’m here.  So we either work together and get out of here, together, or we’ll probably get killed, together. See the pattern here?”

 

“Together, right?” Regina fought off a small smile.  “Very well then, Miss _Swan_.  I suppose you have a good point.” Regina struggled, but soon enough joined Emma in getting to her feet, “but do you really think they’re going to leave something in here that could help us escape?”

 

Emma burst into laughter.  Regina hadn’t a clue what she had said that caused the contagiously giddy sound, but deep down somewhere she wasn’t sure she wanted to think about too hard, she was very glad she did.  Quickly regaining her composure, Emma continued, “I’ve known Killian - I mean Jones, since I was little. I never could figure out why my parents think he’s so useful. I swear he has trouble tying his own laces.  When he was sixteen he was swinging around one of my father’s antique swords and almost chopped his hand off. So, yeah. Of course I think he’d be stupid enough to leave something like that so carelessly behind.”

 

“But Robin?  He’s one of the best, and I know that from experience.  I’ve seen what he’s capable of, and he can be a perfectly calculated monster when he wants to be, and...” Regina ducked her head, breaking eye contact with the blonde, her voice barely above a whisper, “what did he mean by you knowing him too?”

 

Emma’s body tensed for the briefest moment before she deadpanned, “I’ve seen what he’s capable of,” mimicking the brunette’s own words, and turned to begin searching the cupboards, opening each with her foot.

 

Sensing the blonde’s unspoken cue to not pursue the subject, Regina joined her in her search.  Something about the woman intrigued her. Why had she changed her last name, but continued to engage in her parent’s dirty dealings?  The Mills had asked a lot of their daughter over the years, but she always had a choice, and she knew that. She also knew her undying loyalty to her father would drive her to commit to just about anything he asked of her.

 

“Do you enjoy it?”  Regina cupped a hand over her mouth, surprised she had asked it aloud.

 

The blonde didn’t stop her movements to answer.  “Enjoy what?”

 

“What you do.  This… all of the risks, is it worth it to you?”

 

Bright rays of light were now streaking through the windows overhead, highlighting parallel lines across both women’s faces.  Regina couldn’t help but notice the glimmering emerald shine that were Emma Swan’s eyes.

 

“To be honest, I’ve never had much to lose to consider any real risks.  As for enjoying what I do - though I think you have the wrong impression on what exactly it is I do - I don’t hate it.  Well, not all the time, at least. I’m good at it, so it might as well be this,” she finished with a shrug, and smiled when she found what she was looking for.  Turning her back against it, she grasped the heel of the knife firmly and closed the door to the cupboard behind her.

 

“And what is it that you do, exa--”

 

“Shh!  Listen!”  Emma shook her head toward the door, and several heavy footsteps could be heard just behind it.  Jumping into the center of the room and dropping to their previously seated positions on the damp concrete floor, the two looked convincingly inconspicuous just in time for Jones to reappear.

 

“Your parents are less than thrilled, Swan,” Jones rubbed his hands together, relishing in his announcement.  “I’m now head of the search party to find you. Well… I am the whole search party.”

 

As the smile he wore grew larger, Emma was working the knife subtly against the rope woven between her wrists.  She needed to keep him talking. The more information he gave her, the better she could work his plan against him.  The more he kept gloating, the less likely he was to notice that his captive was actually free.

 

Regina watched as Emma had cut through the last of the rope, grasping it in her hands to not let it fall and catch the man’s attention.  Her heart threatened to shatter her ribcage at the thought of Emma leaving her behind to deal with Jones herself. _She wouldn’t...would she?  And what about Robin, what was his involvement in all this?_

 

“How long has Robin been working for the Nolans?”  Emma asked, seemingly reading Regina’s mind.

 

“No, no, that’s not how this works.  You won’t be getting any information from me, Swan,” he leaned his back on the doorframe, the same cocky smile he’d been wearing for the last eight hours flashing between the two women intently.  Emma wondered if his face was in any pain for holding that same stupid position for so long. Then, as if an idea had just popped into his head, he shrugged, “What the hell, actually. You’ll both be dead by the end of the day.  It’s not like you’ll be able to tell anyone. Let’s see now…” he tapped his fingers to his scruffy chin, “Well, Robin has been feeding me information about everything having to do with the Mills for years now, and once we’ve taken everything from them, complete with insider knowledge of the Nolan family empire, we’ll be unstoppable.  We will finally run this town, and your insipid parents will never know what hit them. They think I’m working with Robin for _them_ , but I’m working with him for _me_.  Oh, and one more thing, love,”  Jones crouched beside Emma, his short beard scratching her cheeks as his jawline moved as she spoke again, “my order was shoot to kill when I found you.”

 

“Sorry to burst your bubble and all, but that’s not going to happen,” Emma lurched forward, the impact of her head against Jones’ forcing a sickening _crack_ to echo around the room.  Her head only began to pound harder with the added force, predicting she’d have the headache of the century when this was finally over.  Jones towered backwards, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

 

Without hesitation, she shifted over to and lifted Regina up to her feet, running a quick, skilled hand down to the brunette’s wrists, slashing the ropes until they fell to the ground.

 

“You’re saving me?  Why?” Regina questioned, trying to make sense of the last few hours in the calm green eyes now inches from hers.  Something in them slowed the chaos in her mind, not realizing just how effectively until she remembered had forgotten to blink.

 

“I told you.  I’m not a Nolan.  You don’t have to trust me, but I need you to help me.  Grab those ropes. We need to tie him up before he comes to.”

 

Wordlessly, the two women had Jones tied to one of the legs of the table.  “You really think this is going to keep him from coming after you again?”

 

“Us,” Emma corrected, “he’ll be coming after _us_ .  And no, but it’ll slow him down, at least.  Come on, we need to get somewhere safe. You can complain about this situation when we’re not, you know, _captive_ in it.”  Bending down to relieve the unconscious man of his oversized handgun, Emma studied it momentarily and chuckled softly, “Compensating for something, Killian?”

 

“Is this really the time for childish jokes?” Emma noticed that despite Regina’s obvious irritation, the sound of that low, silky voice caused her brain to fill with images a life-or-death situation just didn’t allow enough time to ponder over.

 

“It’s always time time for childish jokes, Regina.”

 

Her eyes rolled, “Great.  I get an idiot for an escape partner.  Could this get any worse?”

 

“Well, _partner_.  Let’s go and find out,” Emma winked and took Regina’s hand, almost dragging her through the door.

 

The sensation of Emma’s hand interlocking with her own caused Regina’s stomach to momentarily flip.  Choosing to ignore the pleasant tingling from the blonde’s contact, she made the decision to follow willingly, and soon they were out of the dark basement and above ground.

 

Cool morning air greeted them as they stopped to take in the sunrise which was now near its end, signaling the coming afternoon.  Much to Emma’s surprise, Regina still hadn’t let go of her hand, but willed her thoughts regarding it out of her mind for now.

 

“We need to get to my safehouse.  Jones and Robin will be looking for both of us, and soon.  So if you value your survival at all, we should move quickly.”

 

It was then that Regina loosened her grip on Emma’s hand, staring the blonde down in an effort to decide what her best option would be.

 

“I should go and fill my parents in on Robin’s penchant for disloyalty.  While I sympathize with your current predicament, I no longer wish to have anything to do with you, Miss Swan.”

 

A sharp pang twisted in Emma’s chest.  She was used to not being trusted, nor having anyone desire to be around her for long periods of time.  Those that did usually ended up regretting it in some form or another. Still, something inside Emma ached at the idea of Regina going off on her own.

 

“Look, we might not be the most compatible pair, but I’m going to level with you; they want both of us, and I would bet that at this very moment Robin is doing his very best to convince your family that you were the reason those guns are now in the hands of the Nolans.  Your - scratch that - _our_ best chance of survival right now is to work together.  They’d never expect us to actually, you know… help each other.  So are you in or out?”

 

“Are you seriously trying to tell me that you have my best interest, and safety, at heart?”  Regina stared at her incredulously, trying to find a flaw in Emma’s logic.

 

“I’ve never hurt anybody that didn’t deserve it, Regina.  And that’s not going to change now. Believe me or not, I won’t let anything happen to you.”  With that, Emma turned and stalked away, counting her steps as usual and waiting for the brunette to follow.

 

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…_

 

“Wait!  Damnit. I’m coming.  But you better know what you’re doing.”

 

Emma didn’t turn to face her, but she didn’t need to; Regina already knew the grin that was plastered across the blonde’s features.  They both trudged along in silence, Emma still counting silently…

 

_...twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three..._


	3. Common Ground

“What’s the matter, Regina?  Having a hard time keeping up?”  It was the second time the brunette had stopped to catch her breath, yet Emma had barely begun to break a sweat.

 

“How on Earth do you sustain energy for this?”

 

Smirking as she caught Regina’s eye, Emma shrugged, “I guess I just eat a lot.”

 

That not being the answer Regina had expected, and she couldn’t help herself when a melodious laugh escaped her lips.  “How much farther is this house of yours?”

 

“Not much, actually.  I’d say ten more minutes.  Think you can make it?”

 

“Of course Miss Swan. I’m quite certain I’ll manage.  The sooner I can stop having that abomination of a hide you call a jacket out of my sight, the better,” Regina countered, all malice in her statement eradicated by a thinly veiled smile.

 

“What did my jacket ever do to you, huh?”

 

When a clearing came into view, both women heaved a sigh of relief.  They had been walking for nearly two hours. A small but beautiful cottage greeted them.  Bordering the rocky walkway were a variety of wildflowers in almost every color imaginable.  Regina didn’t think the place fit Emma’s style, but maybe that was the point. Or maybe, she suspected, beneath that tough exterior lay a domestic side of the young woman.

 

Reading Regina’s thoughtful expression correctly, Emma explained, “I know, it’s not what you expected, is it?  But I like it. Makes me feel like I’ve got a real home, ya know? Sometimes I need a space where I can just… be myself.  Get away from it all.”

 

“I understand the desire for simplicity, yes.  What I don’t understand is how have you kept this place secret for so long?”

 

“That’s easy.  No one knows about it.  I never mention it to anyone, period.  In fact,” Emma raised her eyebrows and smiled meaningfully at the other woman, “you’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.  Too bad it’s not under better circumstances.”

 

Regina chuckled as she followed Emma inside, the scent of sweet cinnamon and apples assaulting her senses, “I’m flattered, then.  Do I get a tour?”

 

“Um, there’s not much to show.  We’re standing in the living room.  The door over there is to the kitchen, and the hallway behind me is where the bathroom and bedroom are.  Let’s sit down now, yeah? I think we’ve been on our feet long enough. Might as well rest ‘em while we can.”

 

Emma sank into the large plush sofa in the center of the room, groaning as she stretched out all four limbs, looking like a large beetle that had rolled onto its back by mistake.

 

“So why is it, Regina, that we’ve never met before last night?  Seems kind of odd, don’t you think?” Emma murmured, repressing a yawn.

 

Regina dropped down beside the blonde and thought for a minute, “No, not really.  My parents were never shy about their opinion of the Nolans. I suppose I went about my way taking extra care in avoiding you.”  Her cheeks flushed, guilt seeping to the surface of her skin. “I guess I shouldn’t have judged.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.  It’s not like my reputation is all sunshine and rainbows.  When I leave these walls, it’s safe to say I leave a trail of fear and intimidation.  I’m not proud of it, but, vulnerability has never worked out well for me,” Emma’s confession left her before she could stop it.  She hadn’t mean to be so forthcoming, but it seemed so natural to say those things to Regina. Her eyes alone were calming drops of smooth hot chocolate, warming her from the inside out.

 

“Don't take this the wrong way, but you haven't seemed too opposed to vulnerability around me.  Why?”

 

“I don’t know.  I don’t get to talk to people that see me as a person.  I guess it's easier to open up to someone who knows what I'm talking about, who understands the risks of knowing a person like me, you know, without trying to change me,” Emma smiled, “maybe I'll get the chance to know you better, too.”

 

“Perhaps, Miss Swan, you might get lucky.”

 

The air became charged at the implications of their exchange, neither woman willing to admit the waves of electricity coursing through their bodies at the prolonged eye contact they were now consumed by.

 

“Would you like a shower?”  Emma blurted.

 

“Excuse me?”  Regina’s eyes nearly flew out of her head.  

 

Emma quickly amended, “While I cook.  Would you like a shower while I make us something to eat?  I’m sure I have enough here for a good breakfast…”

 

“You cook, too?  My, my, Miss Swan.  Your resume is growing rather impressively.  Saving my life _and_ a chef?”

 

“Don’t get too excited.  I never said I was a chef.  You haven’t tasted my food yet,” Emma chuckled softly.

 

After grabbing Regina a change of clothes consisting of a plain gray sweatsuit and fuzzy socks, the blonde left for kitchen.  She did her best not to laugh at the grimace overtaking the other woman’s face as she was handed the pile of clothing. _Surely even her sleepwear was of the extravagant type_ , Emma mused.  An image of Regina clad in only a black silk and lace garment graced Emma’s mind, causing her to trip and propel directly into the granite countertop.

 

“Damnit, Emma.  Get your head right.  That’s Regina Mills for fuck’s sake,” she muttered to herself.

 

-xxx-

 

Hesitant hands slid the surprisingly soft sweatshirt over a still damp body.  Regina could see why Emma mentioned it was her favorite. She wasn’t as on board about the fuzzy socks, which caused her to slip multiple times on the tile floor of the bathroom and on her way out to follow the beckoning call of breakfast in the air.

 

“Comfortable, right?”  Emma crossed her arms over her chest, the smug posture not going unnoticed by the now rather comfortable brunette.

 

“Don’t push your luck, Miss Swan.”

 

“Or what?  You’ll smother me with a snuggle sweater?”  They both shared a quiet laugh, Emma pulling out a chair for Regina to sit at the table.  Brown eyes scanned the impressive spread: bacon, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy, and toast.  There was enough food to feed them twice over.

 

“You were in there a while so I just kept finding other things to make.  Um, do you want coffee or juice? I’m out of tea. Sorry.”

 

Regina waved her hand gently, “That’s fine, Emma.  Coffee will do perfectly. Black.”

 

Emma stared blankly at her.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“You called me Emma.  I don’t know. I think I prefer ‘ _Miss Swan,’”_ she emphasized the last part, dropping her voice an octave and giving an elaborate flourish.

 

“You do realize we’re hiding out so we’re not kidnapped or killed, and you choose that to focus on?”

 

Emma almost thought she sensed anger from Regina’s comment, but when the brunette finally smiled and demanded, “Let’s eat already, I’m famished, and this looks too good to keep waiting,” she lit up like a beacon and generously heaped food onto her plate after pouring each of them a generous mug of dark roast.

 

When nothing but crumbs and swirls of fork imprints remained on their plates, the women sat back in their chairs, nursing their full and bursting bellies.  

 

When she caught Emma staring at her, she leaned forward and whispered, “You were wrong, Miss Swan.”

 

When the only response she received was a questioning head-tilt, Regina explained, “Your cooking was well worth getting excited about.  While it’s true you may not be a chef, considering my toast was on the burnt side… I mean, I’ll let it slide this once, so be careful. But really, Emma, have you always been a this talented with food?”

 

“At eating it, yes,” this caused both women to laugh, Emma continued, “cooking it, not so much.  My parents were never home much when I was younger. Busy with work and all that. After they gave up on finding a nanny that would stick around I kind of had to teach myself if I wanted a warm meal that didn’t arrive at the doorstep.”

 

“So you practically grew up as an orphan?”

 

“I guess so, minus the house and money, I never really had the normal parent-daughter relationship.  It wasn’t ideal, but I guess I turned out okay. You know, minus the mayhem and all the fuck else they make me do,” she quipped.

 

Regina had obviously decided to go in directly.  Humor seemed the way the blonde opened up about her lifestyle, yet Regina was still surprised by her desire to know more of her so badly, of getting to the bottom of those jokes; so when she spoke, she wasn’t the least bit surprised at her words.

 

“It’s not fun and games and we both know it.  What do they make you do, Miss Swan?”

 

“I can’t tell you that.  But I’ll tell you why I do it, if that’s enough for you to trust me,” Emma offered.

 

Regina leaned forward and patted her hand on Emma’s shoulder to make sure her sincerity was properly conveyed, “I do trust you, Emma.”

 

Filling with warmth and admiration for the woman that was now touching her, Emma let out a content sigh and began, “It started when I was sixteen.  For the most part, I stayed away from anything criminal. I mostly had no choice, though. My parents were infamous around here, even then. The cops were always watching, watching for the kids to screw up and lead to an arrest to who they were really after.  My parents didn’t risk it. There was another family around here. The Golds. They kept the order, making sure no one put a toe too far out of line, but my parents actually had a strange friendship with them. Their daughter became my best friend. She stayed when the rest of the family moved away, but when the order in our worlds began to crumble, I was still just a stupid, lonely kid despite being a legal adult.  She ended up getting married, but then…” Emma’s breath caught, “well, she all but disappeared after that. Killian had always been around, but he ended up coming to live with us when his brother died. At first, he was kind. Then, he would started to take me somewhere random in the middle of the night, drop me off, and leave me to walk home alone. Usually about five to ten miles. I don’t know why he did it to this day, but I wonder if he’d always hoped I’d just never come back.

 

Anyway, on one of those nights, I was almost home after walking for hours, and that’s when he appeared.  I couldn’t see his face, but I know everything else about him. His voice, his touch, his breath, his heartbeat…  all of it… After, I was determined to learn how to intimidate, fight, and terrify anyone who tried to do what that coward did to me.  I became a villain, instead of the victim he wanted me to be.”

 

Tears were welling up, blurring dark caramel eyes as Regina could barely whisper, “It was Robin.”

 

“Yes.  Until tonight, he remained a mystery.  I never wanted to tell anyone, but Killian followed me to a Planned Parenthood.  I was just going in for a blood test, you know… make sure I was clean and all. I wasn’t pregnant,, but he went on some huge fit about how ‘He might want the baby,’ and all that.  I was confused, not even registering the fact that -”

 

“He already knew about it.  And he knew who did it.”

 

“Right again.  I don’t think he just knew about it, though.  I think he planned it.”

 

“Why the hell-?”

 

Emma raised a stiff hand in the air, “I think he wanted to break me completely.  Leave me useless. He’s always hated me. He wanted me to turn weak. He wanted me to be a broken, scared, little girl so he could prove he was the stronger, suitable heir to the Nolan’s fortune.  Money and power are the most powerful drugs, Regina, and I’m afraid that Killian Jones has his heart set on the biggest rush and riches.

 

“Seems to me like he keeps learning the hard way.  You kicked his ass again only hours ago.”

 

“I did, didn’t I?  But that’s temporary.  He has the upper hand until I can convince my parents that he’s not exactly faithful.  I just have no idea how to do that.”

 

Just as Regina moved closer to grab Emma’s hand, the blonde shot out of her seat and retreated from the room slowly, smiling awkwardly and mumbling the words “shower” and “sorry” repeatedly until she was out of sight.  The brunette just sat dumbstruck, chuckling softly and shaking her head.

 

-xxx-

 

The previous hours had seemed like a dream.  As soon as she had stepped out from the shower, a brand new realm had broken into her world, creating an infinite landscape of new and exciting promises of hope and change.

 

Emma remembered the way Regina had stared, mouth agape, when she inadvertently caught a view of a dripping wet blonde emerging from the bathroom in nothing but a towel.  Emma also remembered the flush of cheeks and awkward glances as they decided to take a nap before figuring out their next move. Regina insisted Emma sleep in her own bed, leaving her to the couch.

 

Emma remembered waking up to the sight of the brunette sprawled out on the couch, almost half of her ready to touch the floor.  She remembered never having smiled so much in such a short amount of time. She also remembered the sadness in Regina’s eyes as she begged Emma to be careful, and to come back alive and in one piece.  Emma remembered almost leaning in to kiss her, but making an off-color joke instead.

 

It was these particular memories that ensured Emma she would be fine.  For the first time in a long time, she cared about someone enough to want to be safe.  And surprisingly, it seemed to her that Regina was equally invested in whatever tentative relationship that had blossomed over the last twenty-four hours.  She was also painfully aware that every second she was away from the brunette, the more precarious her safety became. Emma was confident that while Regina was tough, the brutality Killian Jones and Robin Locksley were capable of left her terribly unmatched.  She had to get back to her quickly and undetected.

 

Gathering her courage, Emma crept along the warehouse, climbing the fire escape quietly until she came across a window left carelessly open.  Recognizing the voices drifting out, she crouched beneath it and focused on the private conversation.

 

Jones was the first one she heard, “- but if you’d just let me do it my way -”

 

“No, you won’t.  Listen to me, Jones:  Emma stays alive, Regina is the one we need to take care of.  She obviously knows too much if she’s been close to Emma at all.  You know how sentimental she gets around pretty girls. If we can get rid of her, we don’t have to worry about Emma’s indiscretions.  The Mills will never obtain any sensitive information, and Emma will be dealt with the way David and I see fit. Your only assignment right now is to find Regina.  Bring her to us if you can. If you can’t, do what you have to do to make sure she doesn’t breathe another word to anyone. Is that understood?”

 

Emma’s brow perked up at the revelation that her mother clearly didn’t want her dead, despite Jones’ “shoot to kill” threat.  What her punishment would be for co-mingling with the Mills’ daughter she did not know, nor did she want to. It was more likely Regina would be the one paying the ultimate price.  At that thought, Emma found herself overcome with an immense sense of dread pitching in her stomach.

 

She knew she had to save Regina Mills.  But first, she had to at least try talk to her parents.

 

Waiting for Jones to make his leave, Emma went slowly back down the fire escape, pausing momentarily as he stopped to look around before getting into his car.  At the last ten feet, Emma dropped to her feet and entered the warehouse with her heart in her throat, though she’d never show it for a second.

 

“Oh look!”  Mary Margaret Nolan’s shrill voice crackled in the air like static, “my long-lost daughter finally decides to honor us with her presence!  What the hell am I hearing about you and Regina Mills? Have I taught you nothing, Emma? You musn’t make friends with the wrong kind of people.”

 

“Let me explain, Mom.  It wasn’t like whatever you’re thinking.  I went to the pier last night like you told me to, even though you left out a few important details, and then next thing I know Killian knocked me out.  I woke up in a basement with Regina a couple hours later. He told me, he’s going to turn on you if you don’t stop-”

 

The older pixie-haired woman shook her head furiously, “Do you honestly expect me to believe that?  That Killian would ever turn his back on me or your father? David would be furious about you even suggesting such a thing.  You’re trying to save yourself, that’s all this is. I don’t blame you, honey. Regina is a beautiful woman, but she’s not the woman you think she is.  Thankfully she won’t be a problem for much longer. Killian’s already out looking for her. She’ll be here soon.” Mary Margaret beamed, gripping the blonde’s shoulders in, what was to Emma,  an awkward and infuriating attempt at comfort.

 

Doing her best not to give away any sign of rebellion subliminally, she confidently stated,  “I’m sure you’re right, Mom. I promise I’ll do better from now on.”

 

“Make sure that you do, Emma.”

 

_Yes, Mom.  I promise I’ll do better at getting rid of that asshole this time._

 

-xxx-

 

There was only so much sitting Regina Mills could do for an extended amount of time.  Before she even realized it, her fuzzy socks were slip and slide once again as she paced back and forth in the living room.  The woman had successfully worked worked herself into a frenzy over thoughts of Emma Swan: Emma Swan protecting her, Emma Swan smiling, Emma Swan not being with her right here, right now.  Emma Swan was going to be the death of her.

 

“Forget this.  I’m snooping,” she said to no one at all, and stomped off into the hallway towards the blonde’s bedroom.

 

When she turned on the light, she was awestruck at what she saw.  Art hung along the walls, the most prevalent piece was the one above the bed, which Regina recognized as a Wassily Kandinsky painting, “In Grey.”

 

It was a curious piece to have in the midst of such a colorful environment full of life and energy.  Emma seemed to enjoy the color green immensely due to a considerable about of things all shades of the color littering the room.  The soft, plush bedspread was black, an abject void in the center of the room, but it looked absolutely luxurious. In her temptation to collapse into it, she remembered the mortifying moment she had shared with the other woman earlier that day.  It’s not like she intentionally passed the hallway as Emma came out, wrapped in a flimsy towel and stopping like a deer in headlights as soon as their eyes met. Both stood stock still for what felt like hours before they both bolted in opposite directions, making a silent promise to never, ever talk about it.

 

Because the truth was, Regina wanted very much for a repeat performance.  She just couldn’t trust that Emma felt the same.

 

As she moved to the side of the bed, a beautiful leather-bound book on the nightstand caught her eye.  She picked it up, and saw that it was a handcrafted photo album.

 

At first, photos of a toddler that could only be the one-and-only insufferable Emma Swan lined the pages.  After flipping through a few more pages, she stopped at the sight of a teenage Emma, no older than sixteen, in a tight hug with a beautiful young brunette with braces, both adorning radiating smiles.  She read the caption beneath it, _“Emma Nolan and Lily Gold: Ultimate BFFs!”_

 

 _Lily Gold.  Why does that name sound so familiar?_  Regina squirmed, but pressed on.

 

A photo of Emma and Lily kissing was the last thing she expected to find, but there it was, staring right up at her.  The caption beneath it one read, _“Sorry we didn’t lesbian together very well, but I’ll always love you!”_

 

Unbeknownst to Regina, the front door of the small manor opened and closed, and footsteps tread lightly looking for the source of life within its small walls.

 

The brunette flipped to the next page, deciding one more picture couldn’t hurt.

 

She was desperately wrong.

 

Almost dropping the book on the ground, she set it down on the bed instead, still trying to believe her eyes.  A wedding photo lay before her, three beautifully happy faces staring into her soul.

 

_“Lily and Neal Cassidy - and the best Maid of Honor, Emma Nolan.  But I was still prettier.”_

 

Out of the corner of her tear-soaked eyes, Regina saw final last photo waited on the last page.  It was focused on a young boy with messy brown hair, a cone party hat perched sideways on his head, and a charmingly handsome smile, sitting atop Lily’s lap.

 

 _“Henry’s third birthday party.  And he hopes to meet you someday soon.”_ The caption was dated three months ago.  Regina failed to notice the figure staring right at her from the doorway.

 

 _I killed that boy’s father,_ Regina almost whispered.

 

“That’s my Godson.  I’ve never met him. But you know how to read.  You already knew that.” Emma stated monotonously, ignoring the flinch and almost comical yelp from Regina as she was momentarily convinced that Emma had heard her thoughts.

 

“I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have gone through your things.  I got bored, and so I started… well, I wasn’t _snooping_!”  Emerald eyes bore into deeply embarrassed chocolate embers, “Okay!  I was snooping. I’m sorry.”

 

“Regina.  It’s okay.  I’m not mad.  If I cared about you seeing any of this, I would never have brought you here.  And I’ll tell you all about those pictures if you want. But right now, I need to take you away from here.”

 

“Emma?  What did you find out?”  Regina never met her eyes, but the tone in her voice was clear; she knew she was a dead woman, she just wanted to hear Emma say it.  Only then would it be real.

 

“Killian was ordered to find you, and if he couldn’t get you to come with him, he was told to kill you.  Honestly, he wouldn’t even bother trying to kidnap you. He was always planning on killing us. It’s only on my mother’s orders that I’m not dead right now.  So. We have to go.”

 

“You’re saving me again?”

 

“Didn’t you know?”  Emma flashed a devilish smile and winked, “I’m your savior.”


	4. Welcome to Storybrooke

Arms and legs crossed, one perfect eyebrow perched up, and an amused grin seemed to be Regina’s only position for the last hour in Emma’s living room as Emma ran through lists in her head of contacts she could call on for help.  Shaking her head as she dismissed the likelihood of calling on anyone that could already being in her parents’ pocket, she’d move on to the next candidate, state their qualifications, and, no - with another head shake - they couldn’t be trusted either.  Watching Emma go through the whole thing as a job-hiring process was completely entertaining to the brunette.

 

Finally finding herself bored, however, and saving Emma from her indecisiveness, she interrupted one of Emma’s long-winded tangents.  “If you don’t mind, Miss Swan, we’ll get nowhere if we’re depending on you to come through with someone of use, and I happen to know someone that can help us.  Or at the very least get us on the right track.”

 

“And you didn’t say anything?  You’ve just been sitting there all… regal and shit, watching me with that look on your face, while I’ve been killing my brain trying to come up with ideas?”

 

Regina couldn’t help the laugh as she countered, “I hardly think it takes much to ‘kill your brain,’ Miss Swan.”   
  
“Woman!”  Emma continued with an exasperated sigh, “As much as I really enjoy hearing you make fun of me, just who is this person that might help us?”

 

“Ruby, my best friend.  We grew up together. She’s more like my sister, really.  I know she’d help me with anything, we just have to go to see her to get anything out of her.  It’s one of her unspoken rules. Are you okay with that?”

 

“Well, we need to get out of here for now, anyway.  If you trust her, so do I,” Emma boldly declared, a small twitch of her eye giving away her reluctance to trust a complete stranger.  “Call her.”

 

After hanging up to what Emma could tell would have been a juicy conversation about Ruby’s current boyfriend had green eyes not been locked on her the entire time, Regina cast a glance her way and relayed her friend’s message.

 

“Ruby says she’s looking forward to our visit.”

 

“She did, now?  Seemed to me she said a whole lot more than that,” Emma returned the same grin Regina wore.

 

“You heard that?”

 

Emma laughed, “Oh God, how could I not?  How did she put it? ‘He’s the Houdini of di-’”

 

“ _ That’squiteenough _ , Miss Swan,” Regina snapped, cupping her hand over Emma’s mouth to keep her from finishing that dreadful sentence.  “The less the both of us know about that the better.” Once she was sure her point made it across, she dropped her hand from the blonde’s lips.

 

Regina couldn’t help herself at being impressed by Emma’s skills at eavesdropping.  A talent no doubt sourced from her long-term stint with mob enforcement.

 

Thankfully, Emma had dropped that particular subject and moved on to the most pertinent one.  “How far are we traveling?”

 

“Eight hours without construction or accidents.”

 

“Sounds like hell,” Emma joked, who actually enjoyed the hours she spent on the road in her spare time.  It was precisely why she had a prized cherry red motorcycle, jet black Mercedes Benz and a lemonade yellow Volkswagon Beetle Classic in her garage mere feet away.  “I’m in. We should leave now to make better time. The sooner we get out of here the better for both of us. We can take the Mercedes in the garage. No one important knows about it.”

 

“You certainly are prepared for these scenarios, aren’t you?”

 

“I’ve definitely lived through enough.  Let's see. The time my parents got kidnapped and I had to go to Brazil to rescue them, and after that they were held hostage at that fancy hotel, the White, isn’t it?  Yeah. And then, oh that was the worst one, some deal with a sex trafficker had gone wrong and I ended up chasing a caravan of at least four-dozen women for several hundred miles until I could get them free,” Emma gazed off to nowhere in particular, “You know what?  I think I really hate what I do. Minus rescuing those women, of course. I’m tired of it. Of living only to rescue those that don’t deserve it. Maybe even start helping the ones that do deserve it. Someone to balance the odds. Put them back in the right favor, you know?”

 

And even though Regina could tell Emma was rambling to no one in particular, she still felt her words sting her ears and put a weight on her chest.   _ Of course _ , she thought,  _ Emma wanted no part in any of this.   _ She was playing a role to stay alive, much the same way as Regina.

 

Regina, too, had always wondered what the side of good looked like.  Was it true? Did the good ones finish last? Or did the selfless deeds truly measure up for something more, like a chance at redemption, perhaps?  Or was it futile in the end, to wonder the consequences of such actions instead of only pursuing them for the good, and good alone?

 

Selfishness was at the backbone of every person; personal morality dictated one’s posture.  Somehow, Emma stood with dignity and confidence, two things Regina found both soothing and alluring.

 

-xxx-

  
  


With as little time wasted as possible, both women were quickly in a an incredibly comfortable and distractingly shiny luxury car.  It took even less time, it seemed, to break into a fight about who retained the rights to the drive’s playlist.

 

Emma had pulled over just outside the freeway, refusing to continue until they’d reached an agreement.  Regina giggled as she considered this the most amusing hostage situation she’d ever been in, causing Emma to claim the brunette wasn’t taking this seriously, and eventually, winning her control over the musical entertainment.

 

Driving now with a victorious smile, Emma bopped her head in unison with the beat, catchy pop and rock seemed to dictate the majority of the ride.  Regina was surprised, assuming Emma would be darker in her taste, but most of the songs were so cliche and full of grandiose romantic ideals even she found charming.  

 

As the drive wore on, much of their time was spent in what would have been an awkward lack of communication had both of them not been feeling the same sense of relief as they sped farther and farther away from the anxiety and fear long since turning into twinkles of light in the rear-view mirror.

 

As yet another song ended, Emma began to twitch with excitement as the new one began, and Regina assumed this one was a favorite of hers.  Watching the blonde carefully in amusement, she let out an audible gasp as Emma began to sing.

 

_ “It’s been a long time since I came around, _ __   
_ Been a long time but I’m back in town, _ __   
_ And this time I’m not leaving without you. _ __   
__   
_ You taste like whiskey when you kiss me, oh _ __   
_ I’d give anything again to be your baby doll, _ __   
_ This time I’m not leaving without you.” _ __   
  
She stopped, turning to the eyes fixated on her.  “What? Not a fan of Lady Gaga?”

 

“I just hadn’t imagined you sang so well, that’s all.”

 

“Ah, just one of my many secret talents,” Emma wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

 

As Regina pondered the tone in Emma’s voice, her stomach grew warmer, an uneasy sensation of intrigue and admiration for the blonde growing tighter at the base of her spine.   _ Must have been a chill, _ Regina thought,  _ just a damn chill. _

 

The moment was broken by a loud, long yawn and Regina took stock of her surroundings for the first time in four hours.  They were entering a small town, “Welcome to Storybrooke,” a quaint little sign greeted. 

 

“What an absurd name.  Did a toddler with a penchant for fairytales come up that?”   
  
Emma laughed, “What, ‘Storybrooke?’  I think it’s cute. And listen how quiet it is.  Imagine growing up here. Raising kids here. In one of those big houses, dogs and all the children of the neighborhood playing in the yard while the adults enjoy a barbecue…”  She trailed off, a somber expression taking over her typically uplifting features, and continued, smiling half-heartedly at the brunette, “A girl can dream, right?”

 

Regina smiled, wondering how such an old soul still managed to thrive in the body of Emma Swan.  She was too perfectly well-rounded for someone who was technically a mob enforcer, and her heart ached, hoping that once they got out of this, or rather,  _ if _ they got out of this predicament, they would be able to share the life Emma just described.

 

_ They. _  Regina blushed, adjusting herself so Emma couldn’t see her reddening cheeks.   _ Did I really just think about a future with a Nolan? _  Chalking it up to exhaustion, she shook the thought right out of her head.

 

Not even a mile into the town, the car came to a stop outside an old gray building, adorned with a wooden gray sign above its door reading “Granny’s Bed & Breakfast.”

 

“Come on, I’m not going to be able to drive any more tonight and you look ready to conk out any second.  Let’s get a few hours sleep and go from there,” Emma reasoned after catching the glimpse of skepticism lingering in Regina’s eyes.  “Besides, no one knows we’ve left yet and it’ll be a bit before they realize. We have some time to relax, Regina.”

 

Regina contemplated this for a moment, and finding no flaw in Emma’s logic, she nodded silently and opened the door.  Emma quickly followed suit, and they were soon in a warm, welcoming lobby that resembled more of a living room than anything else.  It smelled of apples and cinnamon, probably the product of the candles lining the counter.

 

An old woman with small, rectangular spectacles appeared from the staircase, a stern expression covering her entire body.  “Christ, it’s late! Or early, I don’t really care which, but you folks sure know how to wake an old woman.”

 

“I-I’m sorry.  We just need a room and-”

 

“No need, I don’t ask for explanations.  I just rent out the rooms. I suppose given the hour at night you two won’t mind sharing a bed, then, hmm?”

 

Both women turned beet red, swallowing hard a few times.

 

“Two beds, actually.  Please. Or two rooms.  Whichever you have.” Emma responded stiffly.  She was fully aware of Regina’s eyes on her.

 

“Too bad, ladies.  One room with a queen.  That’s all I’ve got right now.  This is a busy time here, so you get what you get.  Still staying?”

 

A silent conversation seemed to play out between the two women.  A steady stream of consciousness relayed back and forth by the magnetic force of both their eye contact and body language.  They couldn’t say truthfully that the idea was completely without its appeal, they just didn’t know how to handle the sudden rush of everything they were running toward and away from.

 

“It’ll be fine, thank you.”

 

After handing over her credit card and ID, but paying double the fee in cash so her card wouldn’t be run and their location blown, Emma followed Regina to their room, silently beating herself up for the entirety of the last 24 hours.

 

Upon entering the room, their eyes were accosted by the bright rose pink wallpaper that covered the bottom half of the walls, and a lather of equally abrasive pink paint succumbed to the top of the walls.  A single queen size bed sat in the center, and a window seat sat to the left.

 

“You take the bed, Regina.  I’ll squeeze into the window seat.”

 

“No, Emma, I couldn’t possibly, you paid for the room and-”

 

“And it’s my family that’s trying to have you killed.  The bed is the least I owe you, trust me. Just take the bed,” Emma insisted.

 

If she hadn’t allowed Killian Jones to fool her, Regina’s life wouldn’t be in danger now.  If she hadn’t let her hatred take over, she may have left her family’s business before she ever got any real start in it and none of them would be in this mess.  At least, that’s what Emma’s guilt-ridden mind kept convincing herself. At the end of the day, it always boiled down to Emma’s failures.

 

Which was why Jones’ betrayal really hit her hard.  He had grown up with her. He had always received the praise and encouragement Emma expected for herself, but the Nolans seemed to treat Jones more like their son and Emma as the hired help.  Sure, she still retained more power than he ever had, but when things fell through for him, which it almost always did, she was there to clean up his mess by order of her parents. She really should have known better the moment she saw him standing at that pier that night.

 

With thoughts of Jones, the Nolans, and Robin echoing throughout her already overworked mind, she settled in to the cramped space by the window, hoping she could get get some decent sleep before having to head off again in the morning.

 

Regina, on the other hand, was juggling stubborn thoughts of the blonde laying only a few feet away, who could have easily given in to Jones and Robin if she had really wanted, let them get away with what they were planning, and walked away from it all without ever looking back.  Instead, she chose to put Regina first, risking everything for a stranger’s safety. Putting herself right at the steps of death’s door, all for her. A woman she should, by all accounts, care nothing about.

 

Yet, here they both were, on the same team, trusting in each other.  In all honesty, Regina could hardly regret it at all. She liked Emma enough.  They were having fun when they weren't talking about their possible imminent deaths.  And, if she were reading the signs correctly, forming a bond beyond that of friendship.

 

Drifting off to sleep, her last thought was of the blonde haired beauty crammed into the small space by the window.

 

A violent scream tore through the room, jolting Regina awake so quickly she nearly fell out of the bed.  While frantically looking for the source of the sound, another cry ripped out and deep brown eyes locked on Emma Swan, who was thrashing wildly about, seemingly fighting off an invisible enemy.

 

Not wanting to get too close for her own safety, Regina grabbed a pillow from the bed and gently pushed it into Emma’s side several times, whispering, “Emma!  Emma, wake up.”

 

The thrashing subsided immediately, and the only thing that remained was a pale, terrified woman, trembling and gasping with wide eyes at Regina.  She returned the look with one of both understanding and kindness and smiling softly, she asked, “Are you okay, Emma?”

 

The blonde shook her head slowly.

 

Regina frowned, not sure how to handle this sensitive situation.  She’d never really experienced nightmares as an adult. Her traumas didn’t include the the kinds of things Emma’s surely did.  Regina never had to kill anyone. She was never stripped of control in any way. Regina was in new depths here with Emma, but she had an overwhelming desire to provide comfort in any way she could.  Before thinking it through, her mouth moved on its own accord.

 

“Do you want to sleep with me?  On the bed? There’s plenty of room for the both of us, you know.  Always had been, you stubborn fool,” Regina smiled, eyes twinkling playfully.

 

The low chuckle that emerged from the blonde’s throat was enough to make Regina’s heart burst.

 

“Okay,” Emma said softly.

 

Regina extended her hand for the blonde to take, and she did without hesitation.  A surge of warmth extended far beyond where their hands touched, and she wondered if Emma was feeling the same thing.  Leading her to the bed, Emma took the right side, Regina on left. They laid so still and stiff, they may as well had been turned to stone.

 

Two sets of lungs working overtime and hearts that couldn’t seem to stop beating at ribcages like a set of drums were the only sounds that could be heard for almost ten minutes before Regina cleared her throat, deciding to take a risk.   _ Now or never. _

 

“Do you want me to hold you?”

 

It was said so quietly, Emma almost hadn’t heard it, so it took her a moment to respond.  She frowned, clearly thinking hard about the question.

 

In that single moment, Regina held her breath at the blonde’s hesitation, fully expecting rejection to be her only response.

 

“Can I hold you, instead?”

 

Regina could have laughed, but she would have hated herself for spoiling the moment.  Instead, she just offered her most sincere answer.

 

“Yes, Emma.  You may hold me.”

 

Emma shifted to the center of the bed, Regina soon following, before they both met in the middle with curious stares.  Regina turned over, allowing Emma to scoot almost completely against her backside, and looped an arm around around the her waist, holding her closer than Regina thought she would.

 

With a sharp inhale, Regina felt Emma’s nose pressing gently into her neck, a barely audible mumble beneath the nose tickling her hair.  “Is this okay, Regina?”

 

“Yes, this is perfectly okay, Emma.  Now get some rest.”

 

Despite the almost positive assumption that neither woman would be able to sleep at all after that, they ended up drifting off into one of the most restful sleeps either one had ever experienced.  There wasn’t a single occurrence of another nightmare, nor any anxious stirring. They merely slept, close enough to feel each other’s heartbeats, hear each and every breath. Close enough to melt together, and they did, as much as they would let themselves that night.

 

When morning finally came, Regina found herself alone in the bed.  She remembered falling asleep with Emma. She remembered the tranquility Emma’s arm around her had offered.  She remembered falling asleep with a smile as her whole body thrummed with excitement and possibility. She remembered wondering what it was like to wake up next to Emma Swan. 

 

She also remembered that for Emma, it was comfort from a nightmare.  That was all. There was little chance Emma found their night together anything more than a warm body to cling to for stability.

 

Before her path to complete personal derailment could continue, a soft and rhythmic knock at the door ceased her overthinking.

 

“Yes?”

 

Emma emerged from the other side of the door, a large paper to-go bag in her right hand and a cup holder in her left.

 

“Breakfast and coffee?”  Emma asked, avoiding all eye contact.

 

“What’s this for?”  Regina countered, eyebrows raised in her usual fashion.

 

“It’s a thank you.  For last night. For…  Well, thank you. No one’s ever done that for me before, and I just thought…  It would be nice to do something nice for you.”

 

Regina was speechless for a moment.  It was curious to her how Emma had felt obligated to do something kind in return for something that required no thanks, let alone felt obligated to do anything more for her than she already had.

 

“Emma, you don’t owe me anything.  You’ve gone above and beyond for me already, going up against your family.  I know your life will be on the line as much as mine once you’re found a traitor.  And as for last night, Emma, I…” She trailed off, not sure if she should, or even could, put it to words.

 

Emma lowered her head, staring at the floor, and with a timid smile, raised her head and tipped it sideways at Regina.

 

“Me too, Regina.” she winked.

 

A long moment of silent understanding stalled the air in the room before Emma spoke again.

 

“Now, let’s eat so we can go meet this Ruby of yours.”


	5. Threshold

Ruby Lucas was nothing like Emma had expected.  It wasn’t a bad thing, but she wasn’t at all prepared for their first encounter.  Her huge ninth-story apartment was riddled with sophisticated designer modern decor, yet the woman herself was messy, crass, and a unapologetically honest.

 

“Regina!” the tall, dark haired woman all but picked Regina up and swung her into the air.  Random widths of parallel lines of red trailed down the sides of her hair, and heavy eyeliner and flawless makeup covered much of her face, though it didn’t seem she needed it.  The woman was gorgeous.

 

Squashing down a ping of jealousy at watching the two women embrace, and internally scolding herself.   _Come on, Emma.  You’ve known Regina for two days now.  You’re trying to help this woman not get killed by your family, for Christ sake.  Quit staring at her ass and get your head in the game._

 

“And your friend here, it’s Emma, right?”

 

Emma extended her hand, but instead was consumed in the same overwhelming hug she just witnessed Regina fall victim to.  Regina only offered her an apologetic shrug.

 

“We hug in my house,” Ruby lowered her voice and moved closer to Emma’s ear, “And don’t worry, she’s all yours,” she winked, glancing between the two women frozen in the entryway to the living room.

 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Emma started, but Ruby dismissed her immediately.

 

“Don’t play coy.  I saw you earlier, staring at each other with stars in your eyes.  Normally, I’d chalk it up to the damsel-in-distress situation, but Regina doesn’t get stars very often.”

 

“Ruby, that’s enough,” Regina sighed, having heard the entire exchange.  “We’re not here for your matchmaker’s evaluation.”

 

“Oh, I get it,” Ruby laughed, “We’re in denial.  Well, if you haven’t admitted it to each other yet, at least admit it to yourselves.”

 

“Ruby,” Regina warned.

 

Emma stood stock still, cheeks burning and palms now sweating profusely.   _That one’s way too intuitive damnit,_ she thought.

 

“Sorry, babe.  You know how I am.  But I’ll appease your mortified little faces for now.  Sit down and we’ll talk about the boring stuff already.  But first, I should be a better host. Drinks, anyone?”

 

“I’m delighted you find the price on my head as a boring discussion point.  Truly, I’m touched. And it’s three in the afternoon, Ruby. No, I do not want a drink.”

 

Ruby threw up her hands in mock defeat, “Your loss.  Coffee, then?”

 

“Much better, yes.”

 

“Um, I’ll take that drink, actually, thank you,” Emma finally piped up after sitting as far from Regina as she could on the black leather sofa, looking out onto the city from behind a wall consisting only of glass.

 

Ruby smirked, “Very good.  A girl after my own heart.”

 

“Wouldn’t need it without you, Miss Lucas,” Emma spat, not sure if she was more embarrassed or irritated at this point.

 

“Ruby.  Just call me Ruby, Emma.  What’s your drink?”

 

“Have any bourbon?”

 

“Coming right up!  I’ll be right back.”  A flash of brown and red hair darted around the corner, leaving Regina and Emma completely alone.

 

Regina turned to face Emma, and deciding there was too much distance between them, scooted closer.  “I’m so sorry about her. She’s a little much if you’re not used to her. Part of her job, I think. Though she’s a little more tactful when she’s working.”

 

Suddenly very curious, Emma asked eagerly, “What does she do?”

 

“She’s a private investigator.  One of the best, in my opinion.”

 

 _Well that explains the spot-on reading my feelings,_ Emma thought.  A brilliant smile broke across Emma’s face, two bright green eyes shining and almost speaking at Regina.   _If Ruby sees it in Regina, too, maybe it’s not just in my imagination._

 

“Why are you smiling?”

 

“Oh, it’s just… well, it explains a lot about her behavior, I guess,” Emma replied quickly.  Just not quickly enough.

 

“What is it Miss Swan?  You’re not telling me something.”

 

“According to Ruby, I could say the same about you.”

 

Complete, deafening silence fell into their space.  It seemed to stay that way for so long that neither one even remembered where exactly they were, because when Ruby arrived with their drinks they hadn’t even noticed until the tray was sat on the table in front of them.  Snapping back into reality, they moved a few slow inches in the opposite directions of each other.

 

Ruby didn’t miss a beat at her chance to throw a knowing look toward her best friend who only glared back at her.

 

“Must have been quite a conversation you two had while I was gone.  Maybe I should leave and get another round. Just in case, you know?”  Ruby laughed, watching as each woman grabbed their preferred drinks.

 

“This will do just fine, dear,” Regina clutched her mug, suddenly wishing she had asked for something stronger instead.

 

Emma’s small glass was generously filled, enough to get her close enough to drunk.  She stared at it with wide, almost terrified, eyes. That terror turned to complete and intoxicating joy when Regina swiped the glass from her hand, gulped down half of it, and passed the now less-threatening contents of the glass back to Emma, who was now smiling the way she had been before Ruby came back into the room.

 

“So, tell me, what trouble have you two found yourselves in?”  Ruby asked, slouching back on the nearly twin bed sized ottoman opposite the couch that Emma and Regina sat, watching both women in awe.

 

* * *

 

“Listen, Ruby, I know I’m asking a lot of you.  I know this isn’t even a case you’d take, but I need you to help me.  And with Emma on our side, I think there’s a good chance we can put it to an end for good.”

 

“Let me get this straight.  You want me to risk my life for you, so I can help Emma set up her family to finally get them in prison?”  Ruby just stared, unblinking, at her best friend.

 

“That’s precisely it, yes,” Regina nodded.  “Can you do it?”

 

Ruby scoffed, “Can I do it?  Of course I can do it! But Jesus, I never expected to go this far down the rabbit hole with you, Regina.  I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t make it and I couldn’t have helped you. This is different than what I usually have to do for a case.  And I’ve definitely never dealt with anyone like the Nolans before. I know you’re all smitten but you can’t expect me to fully trust her enough to get involved in this, can you?”

 

Before Regina could shout out her defense, Emma, having had enough of the never ending loop of a discussion, stood up and looked right at Ruby, and addressed her directly.  “Ruby, I know this is a lot to ask. And you know what? This for me. As much as I’d like to see my parents pay for everything they’ve done and made me do, but this, right now, is not for me.  It’s for Regina. I heard my mother say it herself. Regina is to be captured to kill later, or killed immediately if she puts up a struggle. And Jones, he’d do it without hesitation. I know you care about Regina, so do this for her.  I’m pretty sure I’ll wind up dead, but I’m just as sure she’ll be free when all this is over. That’s all I care about at this point, Ruby. Help me save _her_.”

 

Surprised by the passionate speech she inspired from Emma, Regina just gaped at the blonde.  Ruby on the other hand, looked at Emma with only a smile, as if she expected her to say as much.  And she had.

 

“Good girl.  That’s all I wanted to hear.  I’m going to make some phone calls, and once I know what my resources are, we can work on a plan, which could take some time.  I have to do some surveillance tonight for a client, too. So you two will have to find something to keep yourselves busy while I’m gone for the night.  You’re welcome to anything in my fridge and closet, and the spare apartment keys are hanging right there next to the door. Go out. Get some air, have some fun, and let off some steam.  When you get back, the guest bedrooms are upstairs, you’re welcome to use them. Or just one, if you’d prefer,” Ruby giggled, and Regina shot her another glare. “Careful, Regina. Your face might just stay stuck like that.”

 

* * *

 

 

Long after Ruby had left, both women found themselves wandering aimlessly throughout the labyrinth of rooms in the apartment, and as Emma had found out at her own cabin the previous day, Regina had an affinity for snooping.

 

“Why on Earth would one wear this?” she asked, holding up a very small crop top.

 

“If she’s a private investigator, I’m sure she has to dress for many parts.  And besides, with that smokin’ body, she doesn’t really need a reason, does she?”  Emma laughed.

 

Regina would have been amused, even her lips formed a small smile, but it turned quickly to a frown when she realized she didn’t like the idea of the blonde admiring her best friend’s body.  It wasn’t Ruby she was supposed to be noticing.

 

Regina chided herself internally for the thought, trying to shake it from her mind.

 

Picking up on Regina’s discomfort, Emma took the garment from Regina’s hands and moved to stand inches away.  “What’s wrong? Was it the ‘smokin’-hot-body’ thing?”

 

“Of course not.  That would imply that I’m jealous.  And trust me, I could care less what a degenerate like you finds attractive.”

 

Offended, and rightly so, Emma turned on her heel and stomped away, letting out a sharp breath and shaking her head.  The constant back-and-forth of mood swings and mixed signals of that woman would be the death of her.

 

Regina immediately felt guilty.  She hadn’t meant to hurt Emma, but she was far from ready to admit the feelings that been washing over her since waking up in that dark basement with the blonde.  In truth, she admired Emma’s ability to stay cheerful, even hopeful, throughout what was possibly one of the worst circumstances Regina had ever experienced. Emma’s own parents were trying to kill her.  Neither of them were safe, and might never be again. The very fact that she was falling for the blonde made the entire ordeal even more precarious than it was before. She would be damned if she didn’t just lock those feelings deep down and swallow the key.

 

Seeking out the blonde proved quite easy, as Regina’s first instinct to check the kitchen was the correct one.  She found Emma busy at the stove, making up a noodle and vegetable stir-fry, which she had to admit smelled _good_.  

 

“Listen, Emma, I’m sorry,” Regina started.  Emma gave no response.

 

“Emma?  Are you listening to me?”

 

Nothing.  The blonde merely continued her efforts on the pan before her.

 

Trying a different approach, Regina stepped beside her and asked quietly, “What’s the food for?”

 

“Eating.  But I suspect it’s surprising for a degenerate like me to even understand the first thing about nutrition.”

 

The brunette sighed in defeat, and took a seat at the island bar in the center of the spacious white marble room.

 

When a plate was placed in front of her, Emma commanded, “Eat.”

 

Deciding it was best to not argue, she did as she was told and they sat side by side, picking at the dishes silently.

 

“Listen, Emma-”

 

“Regina.  I know you didn’t mean it.  But that’s exactly why you shouldn’t have said it.  I’ve lived through the dictionary of insults. I’ve never been good enough for anybody.  Not even my parents. So I’m not surprised that you would find me so unworthy, but the problem is that I know you don’t.  We might not know each other as well as we should, but Regina, we’re so much alike, it’s almost as if we match each other perfectly,”  the brunette shifted uncomfortably in her chair, “so it doesn’t serve us well to insult and disparage simply because we feel like we have to be guarded.”

 

“You told me you’d tell me about those pictures,” Regina hadn’t meant to ask about them now, but since Emma had finally started opening up again, she couldn’t help herself.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Lily.  Neal. And Henry.  They must be very important to you.  Why?”

 

“Lily was my best friend, I told you that before, though.  We did everything together. For a while, I was madly in love with her.  I thought she loved me, too, but I guess… Well, when I introduced her to Neal after we graduated, she told me he was the one.  I let her go. What could I have done? She didn’t belong to me, and I wanted her to be happy, no matter how much it killed me to see her go.  Neal was a freelancer. A mercenary. Almost like me, but he got to choose his sides. They were married, and shortly after that, Lily found out she was pregnant.  Neal was called out for a job one night. It was supposed to be a simple meeting about territorial boundaries. I was going to go with him but he insisted he’d be fine, but it ended up being a trap.  Somehow, he wound up with a bullet in his chest. He died that morning, and Lily was never the same. She blamed me for a while, saying I should have gone with him, protected him. How was I supposed to know?  But I guess, she was right. I told her as much. It _was_ my fault.  I told her to get away from me.  I told her to run, and she did. We didn’t talk for two years,”  a string of tears ran down Emma’s cheeks now. “Until one day, I started getting letters from her.  And photo albums, obviously. She always knew about my cabin. I got it right after Neal died, actually, so Lily had a quiet place to mourn.  So, she knew how to contact me privately. Anyway, she sent me a letter, one with a bunch of legal documents stating I was to be Henry’s guardian should anything happen to Lily.  I don’t know why, but I signed them and sent them back. Besides the photos, that’s the only communication I’ve had with her in three years. But I felt like I owed her. She lost her husband, her son’s father, and if she felt like I was worthy enough to take care of her son, and I really do want to know him, I just…  but I could give her that, no matter what I’d have to do.”

 

“Like leaving behind the life of violence?”

 

Emma laughed through her reddening eyes, “Yeah, well, maybe this gives me a head start.”

 

Regina hadn’t heard her, though.  She was remembering the same night Emma just described.

 

She was just a sapling at the time, barely having any training on what to do should a job go wrong.  Saddled with Robin Locksley as her partner for the night, they arrived in an empty, open garage to negotiate - or so Regina had thought - territory ownership between the families.  Regina wasn’t concerned about the meeting by any means. It was routine, to discuss these things on occasion between representatives of both families, and never was there an incident before.  Robin, on the other hand, had seemed tense before Neal Cassidy had even arrived.

 

The minutes that followed were a complete blur to Regina.  A bit of slowed and distorted talking, Regina nodding alone, and then suddenly a thunderous boom let out, and Regina found herself thrown to the ground by Neal.  A dark, shadowy figure of a man she couldn’t identify approached them, and as Regina pulled her firearm to aim, she saw the figure do the same, and both Regina and the shadow man pulled the trigger at the same time, with Neal jumping toward the shadow man, but instead of making contact, she saw him drop to the ground with a sickening thud.  Neal was dead, the shadow man had vanished as quickly as he appeared, and Robin was just standing to the side, not moving but not looking the slightest bit surprised, either. Regina was then dragged out of the garage with painful force, with Robin talking quickly about how they were never there, they waited at a different location which Neal never showed up, and they both went home after waiting for an hour.

 

Too stunned to say anything at the time, Regina barely even nodded.  She killed a man. A man, for all she knew was probably trying to save her in that moment.  He had thrown her to the ground to keep her from the gunfire after all. Or so it certainly seemed.  She called the police from a secure line to inform them of the body when she arrived home that night.  She couldn’t let him stay there like that.

 

But she killed him all the same.  And she was terrified of Emma finding this out.  Emma was no saint, she was not blind to her crimes, but Regina believed her when she told her she never hurt anyone that hadn’t deserved it.  Emerald eyes confirmed it, showing warmth and compassion on several occasions now. Neal hadn’t deserved it, and that made Regina a monster.

 

“Hey, you in there?  Earth to Regina!” Emma called out.

 

Jolting herself back to the present, Regina answered with a surprising, “Let’s go get some drinks.”

 

“Why, Miss Mills!  Well, I do believe that’s the best idea you’ve had yet!”  Emma laughed, and without warning, bolted out of the kitchen, and before Regina could blink, came back with the same fragment of fabric they were looking at before.  “But you have to wear this. As punishment,” Emma threw the crop top at her, eyes shining with humor.

 

“Punishment for what?”

 

“Being mean to me,” stated Emma simply.

 

“This is ridiculous.  Can I at least wear something over it?”  Regina huffed, staring at the black material.

 

“Hold on a second,” and Emma was gone again.

 

She returned a few minutes later holding a black blazer and skinny jeans.  “These look your size. You know, Ruby does have a great sense of style, even if she is an honest pain in the ass.”

 

* * *

 

 

They found themselves at a trendy club and bar fusion, complete with neon lights lining the walls and countertops and chairs at the bar that looked like miniature alien spaceship escape pods.  Luckily the tables and booths were open and spacious. A large dance floor occupied the farthest corner, many couples already dancing provocatively to the beat.

 

Attentive eyes from all corners were on the brunette, whose own dark eyes kept setting Emma on fire every time they shot her way.  Daring her into that outfit may not have been the best idea, considering Emma couldn’t stop staring at the plentiful amount of skin showing under the blazer, and could hardly stand the idea that others were now appreciating it as well.

 

Raking in every opportunity to stare at her, Emma sat at a corner booth while Regina sauntered away to get their drinks.  Too preoccupied with the glories of Regina’s every curve, Emma hadn’t noticed the pair of eyes that stayed trained to them from the bar since they came through the door.

 

“You know, I was thinking,” Emma said as Regina slid into the seat across from her, “Even if we do get the upper hand and take down the No- I mean, my parents, we won’t be completely free.  There will be others that’ll try to take over. There’s still Jones and Robin Locksley, and all the other allies my parents made over the years.”

 

“You’re forgetting one very important detail, Miss Swan,” Regina raised her glass to toast.  “You’ll have their enemies as your allies. And after this, Mother and Father will gladly make sure you’re protected.”

 

“And you’re sure of that, are you?  This is without precedent. The families have never gone that far into...kinship.”  Emma doubted out loud, but clinked her glass against Regina’s anyway.

 

“It’s also not everyday a rival heir risks their life to save their own daughter.  Why is that, anyway? Do you love the danger or something?”

 

“Far from it, in fact.  But you didn’t do anything wrong here.  And I might have my own selfish motivations.  You know, you’re not bad company. I know you think you are, but when you drop the walled-up bitchy persona, you’re pretty fun.”

 

Regina raised an eyebrow and stared challengingly at Emma, “Are you implying that I’m a bitch, Miss Swan?”

 

“Mmm, that’s what I said, right?  Oh, don’t act like you’re surprised.  Have a few more drinks, Regina. The bitch needs to rest.”

 

“I’m offended,” Regina threw her hands over her mouth, pretending to be appalled.

 

“No you’re not.  I’ll be right back.”

 

“Where are you going?”  Regina shot out her hand, gripping Emma’s wrist tightly.

 

Emma smiled, revelling in the touch.  “Shots. I’m gonna melt that icy exterior, your highness.”

 

Emma returned with six shots of whiskey, each woman downing three consecutively.

 

Emma grinned, “Feel better yet?”

 

“You mean am I drunk yet?”

 

Emma laughed, “No, not drunk.   _Carefree,_ Regina.  Do you feel carefree yet?”

 

“I suppose I’m more amenable than I was before.”

 

“Ugh,” Emma rolled her eyes, “you’re still talking fancy.”

 

“You expect me to speak differently after a couple drinks?”

 

“Four.  Four drinks.  And no, not really.  Not sure what I expected, actually,” Emma answered honestly, laughing.

 

“Emma, I’m not sure it’s wise for you to try so hard to get to know me.  I appreciate the effort, but you might not like what you get.” Regina leaned back in her seat, suddenly deflated.

 

“You make it sound like I’m some sort of patron saint of morality and you’re the snake in the grass,” Emma rebuffed.

 

“I just might be.  There are things in both of our pasts that I’m sure are unforgivable.”

 

“Wait!”  Emma shouted, “You mean you’re _human?_  Jesus, Regina, why hadn’t you told me?”

 

Regina couldn’t help but chuckle when she looked into green eyes shining brightly with playfulness and, if Regina wasn’t mistaken, hope.

 

It was then that the alcohol had begun to seep into their consciousness, and Regina momentarily forgot her demons, as did Emma, and soon they were chatting like old friends catching up after years apart.

 

“You mean your parents walked in on you?”

 

Emma threw her head back, laughing at the memory of Mary Margaret and David Nolan’s faces when they realized it was none other than Lily Gold in bed with their daughter.  “Yup. And that’s how they found out I was gay. Shame, I think Lily was more mortified than I was. Poor thing didn’t come back to the house for weeks.”

 

“I’m not sure what I would do if my parents ever…”  Regina trailed off, suddenly not wanting to finish the sentence.

 

“Walked in on you having sex?  Eh, part of life, I guess. I only wish they’d have been a little more accepting.  I was forbidden to ever discuss or mention my love life to them after that. They didn’t want to know their daughter was, what was the word you used earlier?  Ah, a ‘degenerate.’ Yes. That’s exactly what they said, too, actually. Hateful pricks. It’s one of the reasons I changed my last name as soon as I could. I didn’t want to be a Nolan.  I didn’t like the fear everyone associated it with. So, I became Emma Swan. Pissed my parents right off when they found out.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Regina gathered her confidence and said, “I’m sorry I said that earlier.  You’re not a degenerate. I never had the courage to tell my mother or father that I’m…” she stopped, never having said the words aloud to anyone before.

 

“Gay?” Emma finished, “You mean you haven’t come out?”

 

“Yes, Emma.  In twenty-six years, I have yet to confide that to anyone, not even Ruby.”

 

Taking a second to remember the way Ruby had treated and spoke to the pair earlier, Emma leaned forward, close enough to feel Regina’s breath, and whispered, “I think she knows, Regina.”

 

“How?”

 

“I’m seeing those stars again,” Emma winked her signature charming wink that Regina would never admit aloud that she was beginning to love, and without missing a beat, stood up and walked back to the bartender, leaning her hip on the counter, gazing back at the speechless brunette with a mischievous smile.

 

She returned with four more shots, lifting one toward Regina, “To coming out to someone, finally.”

 

Regina smiled, “To coming out.”

 

All liquor effectively consumed, Emma held out her hand, which led to a curious expression to wash over Regina’s features, and tilted her head in the direction of the dance floor.  “We’re going to dance now.”

 

“Oh, Emma, I don’t really dance,” Regina protested, suddenly nervous at the idea of dancing with the blonde, who made no effort to hide her flirtatious grin.

 

“Nonsense.  Everybody dances.  Let’s go. I promise you’ll enjoy it.  And if you don’t, I’ll make you a deal: I wear that top all day tomorrow.  But you have to dance with me.”

 

Enjoying Emma’s idea at compromise, she took the hand that was offered and was led to the middle of a hot, vibrating floor of dancers as Rihanna’s “This is What You Came For” began booming out of the six-foot tall speakers.

 

Emma threw caution to the wind as she grasped Regina’s waist and pulled her a little bit closer, moving slowly against her, a pair of nervous eyes met under the flashing lights, and with Emma’s encouraging smile, Regina began to sway with her.  In perfect sync, they stayed that way for a short while, slow and timid, but quickened their pace as the song picked up.

 

 _“We go fast till they can’t replay_   
_Who knows, why it’s gotta be this way_   
_We say nothing more than we need-”_   
  
Finally giving in to the walls that had been closing in on them, they closed the distance until completely pressed up on one another; Emma’s hands gripping tightly to Regina’s waist and Regina’s hands clasped around the back of Emma’s neck, their lips just an inch apart, hips swaying and grinding in a deliciously sensual rhythm.

 

 _“Baby, this is what you came for_   
_Lightning strikes everytime she moves_   
_And everybody’s watching her_  
 _But she’s looking at you.”_

 

They stayed that way for the next few songs, breathing heavily against one another, hypnotized by the energy that consumed them, staring in each other’s eyes as if they were the only two people within miles.  Neither stepped over the unspoken threshold, no matter how much they were drawn to do so. Hands stayed in respectable places, no kiss was even attempted. They just danced, desperate and innocent in intent. It was the closeness, the warmth and intimacy in the way Emma had held her, making her feel beautiful and desirable with just a look in her eyes, that had Regina on cloud nine.

 

They both left feeling elated, and, as Emma had hoped all along, carefree.

 

* * *

 

 

The set of eyes from the bar watched them go out the door together, arm in arm, laughing and looking like love.  The onlooker shook her head and sighed, smiling, “Well, I'll be. Good for her.” She lifted her hand toward the bartender.

 

“Close up the tab, Lily?”  He asked.

 

“Yes, please.  I’ve got to go home to Henry, anyway.”  Lily paid her tab and left.

 

When she arrived at her apartment, a very tired babysitter greeted her from the couch.

 

“Hey, Belle.  Thanks for watching him.”

 

Belle yawned, sitting up and shaking her long auburn hair out of her face.  “He’s a good kid, Lily, he’s never any trouble. Did you enjoy your night out?”

 

“Yeah, I did.  Saw a blast from the past, though.  I might have to pay an old friend a visit soon.  And I think I’m going to take Henry with me.”

 

* * *

 

 

Emma and Regina burst through Ruby’s apartment door laughing and stumbling into the furniture.

 

“I think, Emma Swan, I might have had a little too much fun tonight.”

 

“Does that mean, Regina Mills, that I don’t have to wear that awful handkerchief posing as a shirt tomorrow?”

 

Regina laughed, smooth chocolate orbs swimming in mirth, “I suppose not.  You’re a lucky one, Miss Swan.”

 

“I’m only lucky ‘cause I got to see you in it,” Emma looked over Regina’s body again, less subtle  about it this time, and Regina noticed.

 

Clearing her throat, she said softly, “I think we should go to bed now.  I’ll take the guest room on the right, in case you need me. Goodnight.”

 

Not knowing what just happened, Emma stood confused and too disappointed to follow her, and decided to get some sleep instead of standing there dwelling on it.

 

As she brushed her teeth, however, she dwelled on it.  As she changed into the silk pajamas Ruby kindly put out for her, she dwelled on it.  As she turned off the lamp and got under the covers of the undeniably comfortable bed, she dwelled on it.

 

It wasn’t as if she was reading the signs wrong.  Regina was without a doubt attracted to her. There was no denying it.  Sure, their lives were in danger. But that didn’t mean denying the amplifying chemistry between them would make anything any easier.

 

Still dwelling, she heard the creak of a floorboard outside her door, and sat up slowly.  Sure enough, the shadows of two feet could be seen under the sheen of the dim hall light. They stayed still for a long while, and Emma crawled out of bed silently, creeping to the door and pressed her ear to it.

 

 _What is she doing?_  Emma thought.  It had to be Regina.  After all, Ruby wasn’t home from her surveillance job yet.  So what was Regina doing outside her door after practically running away from her earlier?  Was she there to apologize? Was she there to tell Emma off for hitting on her?

 

Emma was expecting a knock at any moment, but after a couple minutes, none came.  Instead, she heard a muffled sigh through the door and the footsteps shuffling back in the opposite direction.

 

Laying back in bed, Emma found herself adding that odd new piece to dwell on.  Tossing around for a good half hour, she shoved off the blankets in frustration and nearly jumped off the bed this time, opening the door of the room quickly, and found herself standing outside Regina’s door before she even knew what she was doing.

 

She knocked softly, then held her breath as she waited.

 

Regina inhaled sharply when she saw Emma standing on the other side of the door, seeing the blonde’s pupils dilate at the sight of her until there was hardly any trademark green left.

 

“Emma, we can’t-”

 

But Emma never let her finish.  Finally crossing the threshold, she closed the distance between them in no time at all.  They both gasped when their lips met. Not out of surprise, but out of relief. They latched on to one another as if their lives depended on it, and they very well just might.  Brushing their lips together, teasing, and meeting them once again, kissing until they had to catch their breath as they both broke into breathtaking smiles.

 

“You were saying?” Emma chuckled.

 

“This is a terrible idea.”

 

“And?”

 

Regina didn’t answer right away.  After a moment’s thought, she just smiled brightly and kissed Emma softly.

 

“Goodnight, Regina Mills,” Emma winked, turning to go back to her assigned bedroom.

 

As she opened her door, Emma took one last glance back at the brunette, who called out, “Goodnight, Emma Swan,” before closing her own door.


	6. Plans

Morning light had barely begun to slice through the blinds when Regina heard the front door close and a stream of obscenities after what she assumed was a shin meeting a table’s edge.

 

Still reeling from the night before, she crept down the hallway, slowing momentarily in memory as she passed in front of Emma’s door, and found Ruby nursing a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

 

“That’s the last time I take on a client without a proper interview first.  All night dozing in my car to get evidence of  _ him _ cheating, not the wife I was actually watching for.  Stupid twit. Hires me and brings his mistress to his house as soon as Mrs. Colter left the the driveway at six.  I’d bet anything he wanted me to follow her so having a PI on his payroll would look good in court. Arouse suspicion and all that, you know.  Instead of going after her, I ended up staying where I was and got some really great shots of him saying goodbye. Look,” Ruby pulled her computer from the bag on the floor, and opened it, setting it in front of Regina.

 

There were zoomed photographs of two people, indeed, but “saying goodbye” was not what Regina would say they were doing together.

 

“Disgusting.  Are you going to tell the wife?” Regina poured herself her own cup of coffee.

 

“Already sent the photos with a brief letter explaining why I was hired in the first place.  I imagine he’ll be experiencing an afternoon of pure, unadulterated wrath,” Ruby grinned, eyes twinkling with pride.

 

“Perk of the job, I’d imagine.”

 

“Dealing justice to two-timers?  Of course. If I could have afforded me back in the day, I could have avoided a lot of those assholes, and- oh!  That reminds me, I did get good news from Graham about an hour ago. He’s going to help us out with our little plan.” Regina raised her eyebrows, not having expected Ruby’s new boyfriend to join the fray of her protectors.  Ruby smiled, knowing what was going through the other woman’s mind, “I know. The man of my dreams. He’s jumping into battle for his girl’s girl,” Ruby gulped the last of her coffee and sat the mug on the counter, clearly not being able to stand another second without asking, “So… how did your night go with Emma, Regina?”

 

“Fine.”  Regina couldn’t hold back the ghost of a grin that gave her away.

 

“You know, Regina, I make a lot of jokes, but I really do want to see you happy with someone one of these days, preferably before I die.”

 

Regina just shook her head.  “It’s a terrible idea.”

 

“I hope you didn’t tell her that.”

 

“Oh, God.  I did. That’s exactly what I said to her,” Regina muttered, utterly mortified from having been so blunt immediately after their first kiss.

 

Both women burst into laughter.  Ruby knew Regina was never good with romance.  Give her a problem and she’d solve it, give her a riddle and she’d reply with one of her own.  She was smart and clever in every way, except that. Regina was severely lacking skills in the arena of love.

 

“Oh, boy.  It’s not a terrible idea, though, Regina,” Ruby furrowed her brows, thinking out loud, “and you could do a lot worse.  Think about it. She knows the life, so no judgement there. She understands the risks, so she won’t run for the hills when things get dicey.  And look at you now. They’re about as dicey as they can get, and she’s risking her own life to save you. You do understand that, right? Because what she said to me yesterday was very true.  As soon as the Nolans suspect their daughter is smitten with none other than Regina Mills, they’ll know she’s trying to save you, and they’ll kill her. They’re ruthless. They take no prisoners, and Emma knows exactly what they’re capable of.  It’s amazing she’s actually a decent human being considering the things she’s been forced to do. She didn’t have to take on the task of keeping you safe so seriously, you know. And I might add that it’s not exactly like you’ve told her to back off.  She’s probably the most noble mob enforcer I’ve ever met.”

 

“Murder is still murder, Ruby,” Regina added.

 

Reading her friend like a book, Ruby put her hand on Regina’s shoulder, gazing at Regina with understanding, not judgement.  “This isn’t about her, is it?”

 

Regina simply stared down at her feet, not meeting Ruby’s gaze.

 

“Out with it, Regina.”

 

“I killed her best friend’s husband.  Remember, several years ago, I was still so naive to all this, it wasn’t supposed to happen.  He tried to protect me, but I couldn’t protect him. I killed him instead, and-”

 

“I remember,” Ruby cut her off, not needing her friend to fall apart recounting that night.  “You don’t think she’ll forgive you? You know, you might be underestimating her.”

 

“It doesn’t matter.  Last night was a mistake,” Regina admired Ruby’s optimism, but she far from shared it.

 

“Don’t be so closed off to the idea, Regina.  I’ll be she’s a romantic,” she paused, still curious.  “What happened last night, exactly?”

 

Regina sighed, “Ruby, it was so much fun.  It felt like everything a real date should be.  We talked, we laughed, we danced. She was so kind and gentle.  And then she kissed me, and it was…”

 

Ruby leaned forward and whispered, “Then give yourself a chance.  Let it happen again. And again. And again. And again-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.  I’ll think about it, but I won’t promise anything.”

 

Both heads whipped around at the sound of another voice, “What aren’t we promising?”

 

Emma’s blonde hair was sticking out in random places on the top of her head, her pajamas crooked and wrinkled from a night of abuse.  Ruby and Regina tried, but failed to conceal their identical smirks at the sight.

 

“Yeah, yeah.  Yuk it up. I happen to like my bed hair,” Emma reached over Regina’s shoulder to get the coffee pot, Ruby taking point to notice the slight shiver than ran down her friend’s back at the contact.

 

“We were just discussing relationships,” Ruby added, watching Regina turn a shade of red she’d never seen before.

 

Emma didn’t say a word, she just went about sipping her coffee, doing her absolute best to not make eye contact with either brunette, who both had their eyes on Emma with rapt concentration.

 

It made her nervous.  She already knew she was the actual topic of conversation, but the sudden staring meant they expected a meaningful response, and Emma simply didn’t have one.  She knew her honest response to the night before would be too bold, too much, and far too soon for Regina. Not any declaration of love, but one of loyalty, of uniting on another level of understanding.

 

Emma spent far too long hating the relationships that she was forced to endure: her strenuous relationship with her parents, the unwelcome kinship Jones tried to instill in her, and the meaningless encounters with colleagues.  She wanted nothing more than a genuine connection. She had that with Regina. On some parts, with Ruby, too. But when it came to Regina, the attraction was incomparable. There was so much there, and Emma could tell, as far as she could see, the woman was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the surface.  She wanted to be with Regina completely, and she knew Regina would put up a fight under any circumstances, because Regina didn’t know how to trust her yet.

 

“So, Emma, you seeing anyone?”  Ruby cut in quickly, sensing the tension building from putting Emma on the spot.  As a detective, she was positively vibrating at that moment.

 

“Ah, oh.  Well, that’s a… bit of a loaded question right now, isn’t it?”  Emma spoke slowly, not trusting her mouth.

 

“It was pretty straightforward, Miss Swan,” Regina responded, curious how Emma would answer.  “A simple yes or no would suffice.”

 

_ Seriously!?   _ Emma blinked, “Come on, guys.  Two against one just isn’t fair this early in the morning.”

 

“She’s right.  Let’s leave her be, Regina.  Hey, does anyone want breakfast?  There’s a place down the street that has the best breakfast burritos.  I could be there and back in no time, just say the word,” Ruby met Regina’s eyes briefly, the flicker within them not unnoticed.  She was trying to give the two women time alone, and Regina was surprised at herself when she excitedly agreed, with Emma soon chiming in that steak and egg burritos - but only the ones with hashbrowns in them -  were her kryptonite.

 

Ruby shot a deservedly smug smile at Regina as she left her own apartment to give her guests some space.

 

“Listen Regina.  Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

 

“Emma, shut up,” and before Regina could stop herself, she shot forward and was entangled once again, in Emma Swan’s everything.

 

After breaking apart, Emma struggled, surprised that Regina wasn’t telling her to disappear, unable to relish the new reality of Regina Mills willingly kissing her.  “I… good morning?”

 

“Eloquent, Miss Swan.  However, I do have one thing to ask of you.”

 

Knowing better than to make a joke or sarcastic jab, Emma pursed her lips and nodded, waiting.

 

“I ask that you trust me, implicitly, and understand that along with your past, mine comes with its darkest shades of grey as well.  And that, if ever something were to shake your belief in me, that you remember who you were at your worst, too. And to understand. Just… remember to take the time to understand me, Emma.”

 

Without any hesitation, Emma replied, “I can do that, Regina.”

 

* * *

 

Half an hour later, the three women were sitting on Ruby’s couch, discussing Ruby’s scheme for taking down the Nolans.

 

She explained that she’d do it herself, but there was a possibility that Mary Margaret and David could still remember what she looked like, having lived in close proximity back in the day, so she called upon Graham Wolfe, her boyfriend, to take on the undercover aspects.  He was to gain enough trust with the Nolans to get access to their offices and warehouses, plant bugs to record their activities, and when enough evidence had been gathered, he would turn it over to the proper authorities, sending the Nolans away for good.

 

“That doesn’t solve our problem regarding their lackeys, though,” Emma said through a mouthful of burrito.  Ruby had been right: it was the best breakfast burrito she ever had.

 

“Not directly, no,” Ruby added, “but with any luck, they’ll either be caught on tape taking orders or doing something bad themselves, or they’ll be wanted for questioning in relation to the Nolan’s dealings.  Emma, you said they intercepted a shipment of guns meant for the Mills?”

 

Without hesitation, Emma blurted, “I’m fully prepared to lie in court for Regina.”  Her cheeks instantly shaded a dark pink when she saw the amused expression on Regina’s face.

 

Ruby laughed, “I love your enthusiasm at the idea of perjury Emma, but we’re going to try and make sure you won’t have to.  I was asking because that particular area of the pier belongs to your parents, right?”

 

Emma nodded.

 

“We’ll have Graham set up a camera there, to track who and what goes in and out.  The more we can gather, the better the odds you won’t be seeing any time behind bars.”

 

_ Prison. _  She hadn’t thought of that possibility before now.

 

Emma dropped her burrito in surprise.  Jumping to save it, she ended up in such an undignified position that she caught the immediate attention of four curious eyes.  She was on her knees, her mouth frozen in an “o” and gripping the food with her arms folded parallel over her chest, as if the burrito were her almighty deity and she had just been praying to it.

 

“Miss Swan?”  Regina leaned forward toward her.

 

“I..uh, sorry.  Dropped it. It’s fine though,” Emma blushed again, but very pleased she was able to finish eating, “if anyone cared to know…”  She shifted back on the couch, shoulders slumped and her elbows resting on her thighs.

 

“Miss Swan, why am I not the least bit surprised to learn that your concern for your beloved breakfast food is stronger than that over the possibility you may end up prison?”

 

“Because I eat a lot.  I told you already. Food is life, Regina.  And that life almost splattered right on Ruby’s fancy mahogany floors,” Emma shot a smug, cheeky smile at Regina before continuing, “but I really don’t want to go to prison, either.  So, I’d really love it if we try to avoid that.”

 

“Okay, then we need to know,” Ruby went for the obvious question first.  “How many people have you killed, Emma?”

 

“Ruby!”

 

“Why?”

 

Regina and Emma responded at the same time, though Regina was looking more frazzled than Emma at the sudden question.

 

“Because if you’ve killed a lot of people, then you realize they’ll turn on you and use information on you, too.  Just because you’d be one of their informants doesn’t mean they don’t want to look good by putting  _ all _ of the Nolans away, and that does include you, Emma.  So, unless you need a lawyer present, I’ll ask you again.  How many people?”

 

Emma was silent for a long time.  No one but herself knew the real answer to that question, and she never expected to having to tell it, either.  But here they were, and everything was changing. There was Jones, betraying her for the final time, knowing there was nothing else he could do to surprise her, there were her parents, or more specifically her mother, that either didn’t care or didn’t believe her that Jones was corrupt even by mob standards.  Finally, there was Regina. And the instant Emma’s eyes locked into those of the beautiful brunette in front of her, she knew her life was more important. She’d spend the rest of her life locked away if it meant protecting the most magnificent woman she hadn’t got the chance to know completely yet.

 

“I’ve never killed anyone.”

 

Silence blanketed the room in a suffocating cover, and Emma could feel the disbelief coming off the two women before her in waves.

 

“Be honest, Emma.  We’re not here to judge.”  Ruby noted, hoping to ease any concern the blonde may have.

 

Emma sighed, and put her burrito down on the table, shaking her head and explaining, “That’s the thing.  I’ve never actually killed anyone. I know the stories about me aren’t told that way. If you ask my parents, the count would be over twenty-five.  But one thing I’ve learned in this life, is that no matter what you do for a living, if you have your priorities straight, the only thing that really matters is your  _ own _ life _.  _  And sometimes your loved ones.  I’ve hurt people, yes. But taken a life?  I haven’t. I could have, even out of self-defense.  But my bullets have never been aimed to kill. I’m good at what I do but when I make people disappear, I give them the option, just not the way you think.  I was lucky, because if they hadn’t made it easy by choosing themselves, I may have a higher count for you today, but they all wanted to survive. The same way Regina does.  So, if that ever came up, unless it was a frame, not a single life was ever taken by me.”

 

The silence swayed in its demeanor.  It seemed all three women had visibly relaxed from the confession.

 

And then, abruptly, Regina broke out in a fit of uproarious laughter.  Emma and Ruby stared at each other, shrugging, and breaking out in grins, unsure of how to respond.

 

“Are you... kidding me?  I’ve been hating you for over five years over you  _ helping _ people... out of the very thing you’re... helping me out of right now?”  Regina gasped between giggles.

 

“I… uh, yeah.  Oh, the irony?” Emma asked monotonously, still unsure where Regina was trying to get at.

 

“Miss Swan, you truly are an enigma.”

 

“Bless you.”

 

“I didn’t sneeze.”

 

“I know you didn’t.”

 

“Then why-”

 

Ruby cut over their banter, clearing her throat loudly.  Instead of looking upset, she was smiling positively brightly at the two women.

 

“As hilarious as I think this back-and-forth is, we really need to focus on the matter at hand, ladies.”

 

Emma straightened up, “Right.  Regina, Ruby’s right. Listen to her.”

 

Regina scoffed, mouth agape, “Miss Swan, you are a child.”

 

“Right, so as I was saying.  Graham will plant cameras and bugs, and Emma,” Ruby turned to face her completely, “you will need to eventually get a confession from your parents.  Are you up to it?”

 

“Will it keep me out of prison?”

 

“It’ll sure as hell help,” Ruby offered.

 

“That’s enough for me, then.”

 

* * *

 

After further discussion of what was to come, Emma had found herself forming a newfound respect for Ruby Lucas.  She was definitely doing her best to help them, despite her being able to do the digging herself. She promised Emma that in a day’s time, after she settled her more important client’s investigations, she and Graham would arrive to help, with Ruby herself staying out of sight to not bring further attention to the four of them.  Emma was grateful. She really was, but the sooner all this was over, the better for her and Regina. Alive or dead, all she craved was for this to be done.

 

Emma thought it hard to believe how comfortably their new role as a couple had fell on them the minute they left the city.  After saying goodbye to Ruby, they were finally in the privacy of Emma’s black Benz. Within it, eyes kept glancing sideways to get a look at the other, a hand reaching out to brush against the back of another hand, blushes creeping out when a gasp or exhale could be heard, and contagious smiles that hardly let up for the entire drive.  Their every move was no longer being observed by anyone but each other, tallying internally how many times the other had taken their breath away.

 

She hoped it wouldn’t change when they arrived back at her safehouse, but a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her with the added pressure of trying not to get killed or discovered would dampen their fragile euphoric haze.  So, Emma took advantage of the eight hours alone in the car with Regina, keeping the music low so conversation could flow freely, and making sure to peek sideways every now and then to catch the growing glow of Regina’s blushed cheeks.

 

Halfway through their journey, they stopped once again in Storybrooke for gas and food, enjoying the break of the road and ability to be face-to-face while talking.

 

“Did you think of this often?”  Regina asked, setting down her knife and fork to grab her glass of iced tea.

 

“Of what?  Eating at a diner?”  Emma eyes squinted quizzically, not having been able to follow Regina’s internal thought process.

 

Regina laughed lightly, “No, I mean, of your way out.  I know you said you chose to get in, but you also sound like you were dying to get out.  Did you ever think you’d get an opportunity?”

 

“Oh I did.  All the time.  But it usually was just a fantasy of me packing up a few small things and leaving.  Just disappearing. I don’t really have a lot of people holding me there, you know? But for some reason I stayed.  For some reason, the universe was keeping me from running. I didn’t know it would be for you, though. I thought maybe I was waiting for Lily to come back or something, but now I’m convinced, that it was for this,” Emma reached over and took Regina’s hand, interlocking their fingers and smiling gently, “I’m glad I got to meet you, finally.  I just wish it had been under better circumstances.”

 

“Truth be told, Emma, I may have never given you the time of day if things had been any different.  I had always thought you were just like your parents. Ordinary circumstances would have prevented you from proving that theory wrong.”

 

Still holding hands as they left the diner, they strolled down the sidewalk and spoke animatedly about what kind of dog they would have chosen if they had ever been allowed.

 

Regina joked about being surprised Emma’s dog of choice wasn’t a chihuahua, and something about “incessant yapping and nipping at the heels,” Emma feigned offense and backed herself against the brick wall of the gas station where they had left the car.

 

Emma reached her arms out and pulled Regina into her for a searing kiss which the brunette happily returned.

 

“I want you to know, Regina.  I’ll still feel the same about you when we get back, and I promise that when this is all over, I will take you on real dates and strolls under the moonlight, and walks on the beach and all that other normal, sappy stuff.”

 

“I would like that, Emma.  Very much,” Regina smiled, kissing Emma softly before turning to face the car.  “Sadly, we should head back to reality for now. I’ll phone my parents on the way and let them know we’ll be arriving tonight.”

 

* * *

 

Killian Jones stood in the sunlight, leather jacket glistening under the rays, watching the door to Granny’s Diner.  This was why he hated small towns. He passed by a Granny’s Bed & Breakfast on the way in, a Granny’s Diner, and a tiny bar called - what else - Granny’s Pub.  To what may have been charming to some, Jones already hated the town called Storybrooke, judging every common person to step into his view.

 

When his targets emerged, he smiled lecherously at the sight.  He was here only to find Regina. He wasn’t expecting Emma Swan to be with her, much less holding hands and looking like giddy teenagers.

 

“Well, well, Swan.  You really do know how to make a man’s day,” he chuckled to himself.

 

He pulled out his phone and followed until the blonde had stopped, throwing herself against the wall playfully, and then he almost literally barked when he saw Emma pull Regina in for what must have been quite a kiss, because Regina had to catch her footing for a moment as Emma’s mouth formed words he couldn’t hear.

 

Clicking the camera button several times at the display, he even captured a video as Emma opened Regina’s door to allow her to climb into the vehicle, and sharing another quick kiss as they sped off in the direction of their homes.

 

Not finding it entirely necessary to follow the two after capturing their exchange on camera, he instead decided to deliver this new information personally to the Nolans.


	7. Show and Tell

 

Emma let out a heavy breath as she pulled up outside of the Mills’ mansion.  Something about the glamorous edifice had struck her with a feeling of foreboding.

 

“You sure this is a good idea?”  She asked, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning to face the brunette.  It was obvious to Emma she wasn’t the only one experiencing a some hesitation.

 

Eyes met for a moment under the haze of moonlight shrouded in dense, dark clouds.  A storm was clearly moving in, marked by the winds beginning to sway the trees to its will and the random claps of thunder in the distance.

 

Regina’s eyes met Emma’s under the yellow glow of extravagant porch lights perched on engraved white stone pedestals.  When Emma shifted closer, she caught a very clear flash of pleading in brown eyes. An unspoken conversation occurred then, filling the air with a sad understanding: Emma was about to incur a lot of wrath.

 

“My mother is going to hate you.  Not just because of you being the daughter of the notorious Nolans, but because you’re an improper suitor by her standards.  I just want you to promise me you won’t be mean to her. No matter how much she may deserve your hostility, I need you to play nice,” Regina looked down, taking sudden interest in her hands, which were sitting one on each knee, grasping almost too tightly.

 

“Ahh, I see,” Emma nodded,  “So I’m up for a challenge. Bring it on, then!”  And then she surprised Regina by laughing.

 

Regina couldn’t help herself.  Emma’s effervescence had rid the air of the impending doom and replaced it with something wholesome.  She too, began to laugh and rested her head on Emma’s shoulder. Regina realized, this was the very first time she’d ever let her parents meet a person she was romantically involved with.  Cora Mills didn’t even know her daughter preferred the fairer sex. Henry Mills, on the other hand, figured it out when she was seventeen and merely told her he wished for her happiness over anything, and that he always knew, but it was best if, at least for a while, her mother remained clueless.  She had hastily agreed, hugging him out of gratitude for not only understanding, but silent promise of discretion.

 

There was a nagging sensation at the base of her spine that told her that her mother was going to catch on fairly quickly.  If Ruby picked up on any sexual tension, Cora Mills would pounce on that like a starving cougar.

 

“Regina, relax.  I’ll behave myself.  Wouldn’t do us well if each other’s parents were trying to kill us.  I never was a fan of Romeo and Juliet, no matter how much I like Shakespeare,” Emma gently ran her thumb along Regina’s jawline, catching the moment it dropped a little.  “What? It’s overrated garbage that reeks of teenage entitlement. Fight me over it.”

 

“You read Shakespeare?” Regina blurted.

 

Emma tilted her head back in quasi-frustration, shaking it rapidly side to side.  “Yep. I have a hidden classy bitch deep inside this rugged exterior, but we can talk about that later.  We have to go in now. Are you ready for this?”

 

Both of them inhaled deeply, exhaling in perfect synchronicity, a loud rumble nearing in its distance.  Rain was beginning to fall.

 

“Let’s do this,” Regina furrowed her brows, opening the passenger’s door with as much grace and confidence as she could muster, and turned to motion for Emma to follow.

 

An old-fashioned door knocker in the form of a phoenix, the tail arching and meeting the steel plate at the bottom adorned the center of the ornate wooden door.   _ What an interesting animal to feature on your front door,  _ Emma thought with a slight shake of her head.  Regina reached up to knock it, but the door flew open before her hand could make it.

 

“Regina, darling!”  A woman that could only be, to Emma’s eyes, Regina’s mother was already grappling at her and forcing her into the house.

 

Emma stood silently, waiting to be acknowledged, but not even a glance in her direction was made.

 

“Mother, please.  This is Emma. Emma, please come with me,” Regina turned back and extended her arm out for Emma to take her hand, and she did so graciously.

 

Cora folded her arms and turned into the foyer, motioning for them to follow.

 

They made their way into what Emma could only describe as a royal chamber.  Two large, intricately designed chairs sat at the head of the spacious room, two sofas sitting opposite sides of the chairs facing into each other, and a deep brown wooden coffee table sat in the center of it all.

 

A man was standing at a fireplace behind the chairs, his arm resting on the mantle and his chin resting on his arms, staring at the display of photographs lining to his left.

 

“Henry, our daughter and the  _ riff-raff _ are here,” Cora announced, breaking the man of his concentration.  He turned and an immediate smile broke onto his features.

 

“Regina!  Oh, honey I’m so glad to see you,” Henry Mills was dressed in navy blue satin pajamas and a black and red smoking jacket.  A cigar was twirled between his fingers as he pulled Regina in for a hug.

 

Emma immediately decided she liked this man.  Whether it was the genuine affection he showed his daughter, or the way he also pulled Emma into a hug, she wasn’t sure.  But there was a special brand of kindness in his eyes. One that told Emma she was already welcome in their home without explanation.

 

“Daddy, this is Emma Swan.”

 

“Swan, huh?  I thought you were the Nolan’s girl,” Henry thought out loud.

 

“I am, unfortunately.  Changed the name so maybe I wouldn’t always be ‘the Nolan girl,’” Emma clarified, all vitriol in her voice gone at the kind smile she continued to receive.

 

“Because changing your name certainly absolves you of the blood on your hands,” Cora interrupted, taking a seat on one of the tall chairs resembling a throne.  Emma swallowed hard but kept her mouth shut as Cora’s eyes scanned her in a way she imagined a predator would before they pounced on their prey.

 

“Mother,” Regina bit out warningly as she and Emma took a seat on the sofa next to her father’s chair, Regina leaning her body protectively close to Emma’s.

 

“Oh, let’s not pretend we don’t know what’s really going on here,” Cora flashed a grin that made Regina’s heart drop into her stomach.

 

_ She couldn’t know, could she? _  Regina steadied her breathing quickly, schooling her features so any paranoia stayed buried deep below her facial expressions.

 

“Are you going to let me explain or are you just going to make assumptions, Mother?”

 

“Let her talk, Cora,” her father spoke softly, putting his hand up to stop Cora from saying anything, and looked at Regina and Emma to continue.

 

“Right, I guess this all started with me, so I’ll head this off,” Emma sighed, knowing Regina was just caught in the crosshairs by accident.  “There was a shipment, four nights ago, Mr. Mills, of yours, that I was ordered to assist in stealing. I had no idea about the stealing part until Killian Jones told me at the pier.  My parents knew I wouldn’t go near it if I knew it was yours. So, we were both set up. I’m sorry about that, I want you to know. Anyway, after it was done, Jones knocked me out, and when Regina came to investigate, he…” she trailed off, remembering they didn’t know about Robin’s involvement yet, but she resolved to tell the full truth.  Taking a deep breath, she continued, “He had an accomplice, and they ended up knocking her out, too. We woke up in a basement, got free, but not before Jones and Robin Locksley told us something about working together to take what belongs to both of our families. It also ended with my mother sending Jones out to kidnap Regina, and probably kill her.”

 

A moment of silence passed over the room as both Henry and Cora pondered this new information.

 

Cora broke the silence, shaking her head, “Regina, do you honestly expect me to believe this?  The Nolans know better than to directly go after us, unless of course it’s Emma here that really plans on getting the best of you, dear.  You know she cannot be trusted.”

 

Regina already expected this reaction, and she decided early on that while she may have asked Emma not to bite back, she was their daughter, so she certainly could.

 

“Exactly what she said is what happened, Mother.  It turns out that Robin and Jones are dear old friends.  And whatever it is they’re planning can’t be very hard to find out if you tried.  It’s not like either of them are very smart. All chest hair and charm, those two.”

 

Emma chuckled lightly at the insult, and Regina smiled warmly at the sound.  Cora’s eyes narrowed.

 

Regina cleared her throat, “And I have no reason to doubt her.  She saved my life. I firmly believe she’s been dealt a dirty hand in all this.  We even left town for a night to seek out Ruby’s help. Which is why we’re here now, to tell you what our plan is.”

 

“You went to the Lucas girl?  If you were in such safe hands, what can she do to help that  _ your Nolan _ can’t?” Cora spat.  Emma realized in that moment that every ounce of venom was meant for her parents and not herself.  She found it hard to blame her.

 

“Mother, we needed a plan.  You can’t just go against people like the Nolans without a plan.”

 

“And what, pray tell, is this fantastic plan of yours?” Cora snapped.

 

Regina launched into a long explanation of how Ruby and Graham would be coming to town, the surveillance devices, and Emma’s possible procurement of a confession.  As Regina talked, Cora began to eye them both suspiciously.

 

When she was done, Henry stared at Regina with a mix of disbelief and pride.  “How do either of you know any of that will work?”

 

“We don’t,” Emma answered honestly, “but we hope it does.”   
  


Cora was shaking her head, “What do you have to gain from it?  If anything, you’ll go to prison for everything you’ve done for them and they’ll walk free.  Your plan isn’t even a plan. It’s the silly wish of a child, if you ask me.”

 

Regina opened her mouth, but Emma shook her head slowly and mouthed  _ ‘trust me.’   _ “It’s true, I could get some time.  I have had my hand in the distribution of many illegal things, but if it gets me out from under them, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

 

“And can you ensure my daughter’s safety?” Cora raised an eyebrow, poised to attack.

 

“Honestly?  I can’t,” Emma said calmly, “But I can ensure my commitment to her safety.”

 

“Oh, really?  And why is that, Emma?” Cora turned to stare at her, tilting her head slightly.

 

Emma didn’t miss a beat, immediately coming back with, “She’s an innocent in this, really.  She wasn’t supposed to be there, but she got caught up in this. And either way, it’s still my parents that are trying to hurt her.  I should shoulder at least a little of the responsibility.”

 

Regina couldn’t believe how well Emma was containing herself.  Perhaps years of hiding around the Nolans would do that someone.  She had always come across to her as loud, outspoken, and offensive, so this side of Emma that was so diplomatic truly surprised her.

 

“Well aren’t you just  _ charming. _  Winning over my daughter, talking her into some ridiculous scheme, and then trying to get  _ us _ to go along with you… you’ve been a very busy girl, haven’t you?” Cora turned her nose up and crossed her arms, staring pointedly at Emma.

 

Henry Mills shot up to his feet, always uncomfortable in power-plays initiated by his wife.  He clapped his hands together, trying to diffuse the tension, and turned to face Regina, “Your plan is not without its faults, but I think you know that, Regina.  And Emma, I think my wife is threatened by the obvious chemistry you seem to share with my daughter. Her life is on the line but she looks at you with absolute admiration that I haven’t seen from her for years.  That directed at you, an heir of the Nolan’s no less, is surprising to me, and I’m sure a surprise to her. And as her father, I must ask you what exactly your intentions are with my daughter.”

 

“Um,” Emma turned to Regina for confirmation.  She nodded slowly, and Emma continued, almost whispering, “I want to save her life.  And then I want to date her.”

 

Cora threw her hands up in the air, “Absolutely not!  Over my dead body my daughter will  _ ever-” _

 

“Mother!  You don’t have a say in the matter.  I will see Emma if that is what I choose, under any capacity that I desire,” Regina raised her voice slightly as she spoke, trying to maintain her usual confidence.

 

Cora seemed to consider her words for a while as she weighed her options.  She wasn’t a cruel woman, and Regina knew that. She just had to hear it for herself that her daughter wanted something, and she could never find it in herself to refuse.  Regina had been lucky in that way. Her mother could have easily turned out to be torturously manipulative, but she usually chose to simply love her daughter instead.

 

“Very well, Regina.  If that is what you wish,” Cora said reluctantly, but with enough sincerity to leave the room in stunned silence.

 

Henry laughed at Cora’s complete transformation, knowing the entirety of her hostility was based solely in keeping up a performance and dominating the show, especially when it came to the Nolans.

 

“However, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you what the consequences of your… union would be if the Nolans were to find out.”

 

“Ah, I’m sorry.  But they’re already trying to kill Regina, what could be worse than that?” Emma blurted.

 

“They’ll try to kill you, too,” Cora pointed her finger to Emma.

 

It was Emma’s turn to laugh, and she did so unashamedly.  All eyes turned to face her.

 

“They’ve been trying to kill me for years.  They think I don’t know, but I do. So you know, it’s just another day for me,” Emma confessed.  She had, in fact, dodged a lot of bullets and knives in her time, the connection between them all not forming until she had already gone too deep into the rabbit hole.

 

Cora, for the first time since Emma walked through the door, broke into a beaming smile, reminding Emma so much of Regina, and she couldn’t help but return it in kind as Cora spoke directly to her.

 

“Clearly, you don’t lack in grit if what you say is true, Emma.  I see now why Regina trusted you. Nothing seems to knock you off your feet.  You were wasted on the Nolans. And sadly, I fear you’re due for more heartache in your near future.  Oh, nothing personal, dear,” she added, seeing the look of confusion cross Emma’s face, “That is simply the only modus operandi of your  _ parents,” _ the way Cora added a lilt to the last word sent a shiver down Emma’s spine for a reason she couldn’t seem to place.  There was something beating at her brain telling her she didn’t have the full view of everything just yet. “That is why I will extend an offer to assist the both of you in any way we can.”

 

Regina didn’t quite understand what she was witnessing.  How quickly her mother had turned to accept Emma was not something she anticipated.  She would have bet good money that the blonde would have been the target of vicious verbal attacks for a long time to come, so this chain of events had rendered her speechless.  She stared blankly at her mother for several long moments, not noticing Emma struggling to respond right along with her.

 

“Well, Regina.  Emma. What do you need?” Henry asked, looking expectantly between the two of them.

 

Emma, finally gaining control of her basic reasoning skills, almost yelped as she thought of an idea.

 

“Actually, there is something.  You get a lot of your product shipments by boat, correct?”

 

Henry looked at her curiously.  “Yes, we do.”

 

“And how hard would it be for Jones to intercept another one?”

 

“Well, we have revamped our security so they must get authorization from either Cora or I via face chat to reroute the load destination, so pretty hard now, I would think.”

 

Emma scrunched her face, thinking out loud, “You can always change those orders though, right?”

 

“I suppose if I had a good enough reason,” Henry answered.

 

“Right, I’m sorry.  My point is, when all the surveillance cameras and microphones are set up, there won’t be a bit of the pier or warehouses left private, and setting them up with a phony shipment might be the best way to catch them at their own game,” Emma explained.

 

“I see.  That’s not a bad plan.  But I can’t just send people in to their deaths.  Midas barely made it out alive, and the rest of his crew went home in body bags,” Henry said sadly.

 

Emma’s stomach flipped as she grimaced.  She knew Jones would want to dispose of them all, but hoped kidnapping her and Regina would have been a big enough distraction.  Obviously not. “The timing will have to be right, of course. We can’t set them up if we don’t have the right eyes watching. I will be there, personally, to stop him from hurting anyone.”

 

“Emma you can’t assure us that.  Killian Jones has always been a loose canon.  He’s a rabid dog with the taste of blood. Won’t it seem strange to not only Jones but the Nolans, too that suddenly you’re not hurting anyone on their behalf?” Cora added.

 

Emma took a deep breath.   _ Might as well start telling the truth now, _ she thought.

 

“I have never killed anyone for them, and I don’t plan to start.  They won’t know what I’ve done, or haven’t done, until it’s too late for them.”

 

Cora eyed her with a look of intrigue, “Really?”

 

“Really, Mother,” Regina interrupted, knowing Emma was reluctant to explain herself any more than she already had.

 

Emma gently patted Regina’s knee and paused for a moment, considering her answer.

 

“There’s a quote I live by, that fits nicely here.  It goes: ‘I dare do all that may become a man; who dares more is none,’” she finally said.

 

“Shakespeare?” Cora arched her brow, almost exactly similar to Regina, and nodded, impressed.

 

Regina shook her head, remembering Emma’s words right before they got out of the car.  

 

“I have a hidden classy bitch deep inside this rugged exterior,” Regina said out loud.   _ Indeed you do, Emma. _  She chuckled to herself.  She noticed the confused looks pointed at her and added, “Emma won’t let you down, Mother.”

 

“Obviously our daughter has a lot of confidence in you.  We will give you what you need, just let us know the details when you’re ready,” Henry conceded, having also been won over by the blonde that kept a lingering gaze on his daughter.  He grinned as they smiled at one another, clearly infatuated.

 

-xxx-

 

Both women sighed dramatically when they arrived back at the safehouse.  They had stayed a while after their initial discussion, enjoying the conversation that seemed to flow effortlessly, and leaving the luxurious mansion hours after they planned to.  Emma was just beginning to unbuckle her seatbelt when her ears were met with unrestrained, uproarious laughter. She tilted her head sideways at Regina, who was in tears and clutching her stomach, and for a moment, Emma wondered if she needed to worry.

 

“My… mother… she… she  _ likes _ you!” Regina said between .

 

Emma, realizing that Regina was laughing out of relief, began to chuckle softly, returning Regina’s smile in earnest.  “I guess both of our families have managed to surprise us. But I don’t think your mom likes me. I think she just loves you a lot.”

 

“That’s not true.  Remember when I went to the bathroom?  She met me outside the door to congratulate me.  Do you believe it? The only person I’ve brought home and she almost instantly approves of, and it’s  _ you.” _

 

“Gee, don’t be so shocked, Regina,” Emma joked.

 

“She told me to grab this, too.  To celebrate,” Regina added, pulling a bottle of light gold liquid from her purse and shaking it side to side in a graceful flourish.  “So, Miss Swan, how would you like a glass of the best apple cider you’ve ever tasted?”

 

-xxx-

 

“Killian?  What are you doing here this late?” Mary Margaret opened her door, hugging her robe around her frame, squinting at the man through the harsh artificial light from the porch bulb.

 

“Sorry, but I thought you’d want this information delivered in person,” Jones pushed through the door, disregarding the lack of invitation.

 

“Let’s go to my study,” she motioned, irritated.  Jones followed her silently.

 

“I found the Mills girl.  And when I found her, I saw this,” he held up his phone, the image of Emma against a brick wall and Regina smiling and leaning in for a kiss glowing on his screen.  After a second, he flipped to the next photo, and then finally, held up the video.

 

“Thank you, that’s quite enough,” Mary Margaret crossed her arms, facing in Jones’ direction but never making eye contact.  She was already deep in thought, plotting. “Did you confront her?”

 

“No.  I watched from afar and let them leave without alerting them.  I had a feeling you’d like the pleasure of that confrontation,” he grinned.

 

“Well done, yes,” she smiled back at him, sitting down in a red leather lounge chair in the corner of the room.

 

“When would you like me to kill the Mills’ daughter?”

 

Mary Margaret stared at him sideways for a moment, deliberating something.  Finally she sighed and shook her head, “No, we won’t touch her. Not yet. Not now.  You wait for my orders on that, understand?”

 

He nodded, looking a bit like a kicked puppy as he did so.

 

“Good.  And tell no one else of this.  We can’t have our leverage leaking out to just anybody.  This is good information, Jones. Send me the photos and you may go.”

 

After Jones had left, Mary Margaret sat in her chair, twirling a drink in one hand, her phone in the other, studying the photos Jones had taken.

 

“Well, Emma.  It seems as though you’ve finally fallen in love,” she muttered into her glass, smirking at the photograph.  “What a stupid thing to do.”

 

A rap on the door frame snapped her out of her reverie.

 

“Mary Margaret, was that Jones I just saw leaving?” David peered around to get a better look at his wife.

 

Feeling the scrutiny from his eyes, she peeled away from her drink and walk to him, swaying her hips and took both his hands into hers.  “Yes.”

 

“Well?  What did he want?”

 

She raised to her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek.  “Nothing, dear. He had a distressing day on the job. Everything is fine.”

 

David’s eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.  Whatever had gotten into his wife was leaving him with an unpleasant churning in his stomach,

 

“Come to bed now, honey,” she said over her shoulder, walking back to the direction of their bedroom.


	8. Force of Nature

As the morning dew collected on the trees and grass outside the cabin, a loud knock on the front door had both women bolting upright in a nanosecond.

 

Muttering about a good dream under her breath, Emma hurried from the bedroom, crossing a thick robe over her body.  She peered through the peephole and saw none other than Ruby Lucas swaying from foot to foot, and a dark, scruffy, but handsome looking man standing behind her that Emma assumed would be Graham.

 

She turned to where Regina was sat and nodded her head, “It’s only Ruby, you can relax now.”

 

“Hey girls!  This is Graham, Graham, this is Regina,” Ruby sat next to her on the couch, “and that is Emma.”

 

“Good morning, ladies.  Nice to finally meet you,” he extended his hand and Emma took it, shaking firmly.

 

“Ruby has told us so many things about you, Graham,” Regina said.

 

Graham cracked a grin and looked at his girlfriend, “I’ll bet she has.”

 

“I thought you two weren’t supposed to be coming until later tonight?” Emma asked, still slightly grumpy about having been woken up.

 

“We were, but some of Graham’s connections got him a meeting with the Nolans for a new enforcer,” Ruby shrugged, “so here we are, ready to get this plan in motion.”

 

“A new enforcer?  Why?” Emma thought out loud.  That was still technically her job, after all.

 

“No idea.  Could be that they’re planning something big, or…” Graham trailed off, looking into Emma’s eyes apologetically.

 

“You’ll be my replacement after they send you to kill me,” Emma finished for him.

 

“Don’t worry.  Nothing’s going to happen to you on our watch,” Ruby said, having way more confidence in her boyfriend’s abilities than Emma and Regina combined.

 

“Emma, I have to leave now to meet with your parents.  Any advice you can give me?”

 

“Play into their ego.  Especially Mary Margaret’s.  Don’t ever tell her she’s wrong.  She feeds on fear, so keep your cool.  Act like you love to dip your hands in blood.  And just stay out of David’s way and he’ll stay out of yours.  He likes the business side of things, so just let him count his money and he won’t be a problem.  And try to gain Jones’ trust. He’ll either feel threatened by you or he’ll want you to join in his schemes.  We want the latter,” Emma explained.

 

Graham seemed to take all of it in carefully, scratching his beard with pale blue eyes darting around the room in thought.

 

After wishing him luck, Emma and Regina headed into the kitchen to let Ruby say goodbye to him in private.  Based on the smacking noises both women could hear from the kitchen, they were confident they had made the right choice.  The soft click of the front door closing could be heard, and then faint footsteps headed toward them.

 

“Sorry, guys,” Ruby came in slowly, blushing profusely.

 

Emma couldn’t help it, she had to pry, “Are you two pretty serious?”

 

Ruby blushed again, “I think so.”

 

“How much of your clothes are at his place, in his closet, right now, Ruby?” Emma asked, smirking.

 

Ruby paused, eyebrows furrowed in thought, her fingers sprawled out so she could use them to count.  She eventually threw her hands up and said, “Too much to keep track of. What’s that got to do with anything, anyway?”

 

“Because that means it’s pretty serious, Ruby,” Regina laughed from behind Emma, who was now pouring coffee into three mugs.

 

“Okay, well, let’s change the subject, okay?” Ruby asked, a pleading look in her eyes, “What’s the plan for today?”

 

Emma, taking the hint, dropped the subject and moved on, “The first thing is, I’m going to visit my parents.”

 

“But we don’t have the wire you need to wear yet,” Ruby said, confused.

 

Emma shook her head, “That’s not why I’m going.  I still need to do my job, or whatever’s left of it.  I don’t need them getting suspicious. They have to keep thinking I’m on their side, remember?”

 

“Absolutely not, Emma,” Regina snapped, covering her mouth to keep herself from saying more.

 

After a moment of silent deliberation, Ruby finally spoke, “She has to go, Regina.  She’s right. She has to act like everything is normal.”

 

“I’m sorry, Regina.  I wish there was another way.  Would you feel better if I waited until tomorrow to go?” Emma hated seeing the concern in Regina’s rich chocolate eyes.

 

“Sure.  Just be careful, okay?” Regina conceded.

 

“Of course,” Emma said, playfully bumping Regina’s hip with her own.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby got the call later that afternoon that Graham got the job, prompting Emma to decide to just get it over with and go see her parents first thing the next morning.  It would be interesting to see how Graham was fitting into the fold, too.

 

Regina kissed Emma with so much passion before she left that, for a moment, she had seriously considered staying.  Regina’s worry wasn’t without reason, after all, but was the faint look of adoration in her eyes that Emma found solace in, and she wanted to dive into those chocolate embers and let them completely engulf her.  Unfortunately though, some things just had to be done, and that was something both of them understood completely. They led lives that weren’t always based on choice, instead their hands were twisted by expectation and necessity the majority of the time.

 

_ One, two, three, four, five… _ Emma’s internal counting began again out of subconscious habit.

 

Walking up to the door of what was once her home started off a bitter series of memories.  Motion pictures in her mind of the manipulation and occasional physical abuse came crashing through her senses.  She had to stop for a second to catch her breath, shaking her head and blinking the images away.

 

_ Forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two.... _

 

With enough forced determination, she rang the bell, and waited.

 

_ Fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven... _

 

After what felt like an eternity, she heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door.  She almost laughed when it was none other than Graham that greeted her. He winked, shaking his head almost imperceptibly, and that’s when Mary Margaret appeared over his shoulder.

 

“Oh, Emma!  What a great surprise!  There’s just so much I need to fill you in on.  So many exciting things happening lately. Oh, this is Graham by the way.  If he proves himself worthy, you might just have a new partner! Isn’t that great?”  She squeaked, smiling in a way that Emma hadn’t seen on any living person before, almost as if pins were holding her mouth that way, crossing a smile with a painful grimace.

 

“But you know I work alone,” Emma said.

 

Mary Margaret laughed, “Oh, honey, I know, but you do team up with Jones quite a bit.”

 

“Only when you trick me into it,” Emma snapped.

 

Mary Margaret didn’t even flinch, instead she stepped forward and pulled Emma into one of the most painful hugs she’d ever had the misfortune to experience.  It sent a chill to Emma’s bones. Her mother hasn’t hugged her since she was nine years old.

 

_ What the fuck is happening? _

 

“Now, let’s not argue.  I have something we need to discuss.  Let’s go to the study. We can even have a drink,” she smiled brightly and turned to Graham, “If anyone comes to the door, be sure to tell them I’m busy and to come back later.  If they refuse to leave, make sure you change their mind by any means necessary.”

 

“Yes, Mrs. Nolan,” Graham bowed his head, turning on his heel to stand by the door.

 

“Thank you, Graham.  Come, Emma.” She motioned her hand forward, allowing Emma to take the lead.

 

When they reached the study, Mary Margaret sat at the desk, Emma taking the seat on the opposite side so they were face to face.

 

“How about that drink?” Emma suggested, eager to ease some of the anxiety coursing through her veins.

 

“Whiskey, right?” Mary Margaret asked, getting up and walking over to the bar cart.

  
“Apple cider, actually,” Emma smiled, fondly remembering the cider she and Regina had enjoyed together.  “But whiskey’s good, too.”

 

Emma’s glass was set down beside her and she swiped it up and gulped half its contents before Mary Margaret even sat back down in her adjacent chair.

 

“So, Mom, what’s the new exciting job you have for me?” Emma asked, holding her breath afterward in anticipation.

 

“What makes you think I have a job for you, Emma?” She asked, crossing her arms and squinting her eyes.

 

“You said there was something exciting things happening, right?  I assumed that meant business.” The way Mary Margaret was still staring at her made her heart begin pounding violently in her chest.

 

“Oh, no, darling.  I have received some very exciting news regarding you,” she paused, a small smile pressing at her cheeks.

 

Emma’s stomach flipped.

 

“What news would that be?”  Emma dared to ask.

 

“Well, this, of course,” and Mary Margaret shoved her phone in front of Emma’s face.

 

She immediately recognized where and when the photograph had been taken.  In Storybrooke, just two days ago.

 

_ Fucking Killian Jones,  _ Emma immediately thought.

 

There was only one question that needed to be asked now.  Emma inhaled slowly, “What are you going to do to us?”

 

“You’re not even going to try and deny it, then?  You love her?”

 

Emma stared in shock, “What?  Love her? Who said anything about love?”

 

“Oh, come on, Emma.  I remember that same look in your eyes from when Lily was still around.  Admit it. You love Regina Mills.”

 

Emma stood up, slamming her hands on the desk, “What if I do?  What do you plan to do about it? You know you don’t scare me.”

 

Mary Margaret shot up to face Emma, talking softly but with evident irritation, “I don’t plan on doing anything.  I ordered Jones to back off of the Mills’ daughter. I did it for you. For your happiness. Don’t you see, Emma? I do love you, and I can be reasonable when I want to be.”

 

Emma’s hair was standing on end now.  There was no possible way Mary Margaret would ever give her blessing to Regina and Emma as a couple.  No, there was some sort of game at play. A trap she was supposed to fall into. The only way to find out the endgame was to play into it.  At least to a point, she decided.

 

“Really, Mom?  You don’t mind?”  Emma feigned surprise and happiness.

 

“Not at all, dear.  Whatever makes you happy.  As long as it doesn’t interfere with business, I have no reason to object, now do I?” Mary Margaret’s eyes barely met Emma’s, instead rapidly scouring her surroundings, as if following a fly zipping about.

 

“Of course not.  Is that all you needed?”  Emma said, wanting nothing more than to flee.  She wasn’t looking at her mother anymore. The eyes staring back at her were almost aflame with malevolence.  Emma wondered if Mary Margaret even realized it.

 

“Of course, you may go, Emma.  Give Regina my regards, will you?” Mary Margaret stood up hug Emma one more time.

 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Emma mumbled into her shoulder.

 

Mary Margaret clapped her hands together, “I’m just so excited for you!”

 

Emma was out of the room before her mom was done talking.

 

_ Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty... _

 

Counting from where she stopped before to stave off the anxiety clutching at her chest, she hurried along the long corridor.  She had forgotten how large the house really was. From the outside, you’d never guess there were six bedrooms with adjoining baths, a common room, a study, and a huge kitchen.  It fit the Nolans, really. Collected on the outside, but a labyrinth of tricks and turns on the inside.

 

She turned into the room she had called home for eighteen years.  Except for the bed and dresser in the corner, there wasn’t a trace of her ever existing there.  She sat down on the bed to collect her thoughts, landing with a soft thud, and covered her face with her hands.

 

Several quiet moments passed with her in this position, trying to hold back the bile that was rising in her throat.  Whatever her mother was planning against her and Regina, she knew no good would come from it for either side.

 

A gentle knock on the door broke her from her haze of doom.  She looked up into the bright, kind eyes of her father.

 

“Emma, what’s the matter?”

 

“Don’t act like you don’t know.”

 

David furrowed his brows, “I really don’t know, honey.  All I know is you look distraught and as your father, it’s kind of my job to fix it, isn’t it?”

 

Emma laughed, “Sure.  Like you fixed Killian and Robin after they kidnapped me.  Or how you and Mom set out to have Regina killed, only to be  _ so kind _ after finding out about us that you decided to wait a while before striking at us.  I know this family’s game, Dad. I worked for you long enough, I know all the dirty tricks and manipulative tactics.  You’re not fooling me. I won’t let you win.”

 

“Emma, slow down.  What about you being kidnapped?  Was it really Jones?”

 

Emma stared at her father in disbelief.  He was either better than Mary Margaret at lying or he really had no idea what his own wife was up to.

 

“Yes.  After Regina and I got away, we-”

 

“Regina Mills?”

 

Emma nodded, “And then I overheard a conversation between Jones and Mom.  Something about capturing Regina, and killing her if she resisted.”

 

“Your mother knows better than to go directly after a Mills,” David defended.

 

“How well do you really know her, Dad?  Because now she’s going to go after a Nolan, too,” Emma couldn’t help the tear that dropped from her eye.  Not out of sadness, but out of the all-consuming rage building up in her chest.

 

“Emma, what’s really going on, here?”

 

“Regina and I started seeing each other after we got kidnapped.  Mom found out. She just gave me some fake speech about calling a cease fire because she wants me to be happy.”

 

David sat down next to her on the bed, the strange behavior he observed from his wife the night in her study flooded back into his mind.

 

“Emma, look at me, please,” he pleaded.  She raised her head to meet his gaze. “Do you really think she’s capable of having you killed?”

 

Surprised by the concern and sincerity in his voice, she nodded, “In a heartbeat.”

 

“Listen to me, Emma.  Whatever she’s planning, I’m going to get to the bottom of it.  I may not have earned a badge in philanthropy, but I’ll be damned if I let my baby girl get hurt.”

 

“You really didn’t know?”

 

“No,” he shook his head, running his hands through his short blonde hair, fuming with anger, “and I have a feeling I’ve been living in the dark for longer than we both think.”

 

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Emma leaned into him, and he responded by wrapping his arm around her.

 

“Do you love her?”

 

Emma didn’t speak, instead she just nodded.

 

“Go back to her.  Take her out to dinner.  Use the burner cell I gave you and text me where you’ll be.  I’m going to watch you and see how many eyes your mother really has on you.  If your mother really ordered a truce, she’d have no reason to have eyes watching you.  We’ll figure this out.”

 

“Dad, can you do me a favor?”

 

“Anything,” he smiled.

 

“Stay away from the warehouses.  Stay away from the pier. Just… stay away from the business for a while,” she explained.

 

“You have something planned, too, don’t you?”

 

“I don’t want you to go to prison,” Emma stared at the floor.

 

David seemed to understand, agreeing.  “That’ll be hard if I’m right about what I think you’re doing, but…” he sighed, “I guess it was a matter of time.  I’ll try to keep my hands as clean as possible from now on.”

 

“Good.  Oh, and the new guy, Graham?  You can trust him,” Emma added.

 

David looked at her almost proudly, “He’s one of yours?”

 

“He’s my spy,” Emma laughed as David began to chuckle.

 

“I’m glad you’re using your powers for good.  I’ll look out for you, Emma. Now go and sweep that lady of yours off her feet.”

 

“Thank you, Dad.”

 

“I love you, baby girl.”

 

Emma left, hoping that David would stay true to his word.  She could use an extra ally with Mary Margaret knowing about her feelings for Regina.

 

* * *

 

 

The looks on Ruby and Regina’s faces when Emma explained the heartwarming interaction with her father was almost comical.  They both took on the expression of a deer in the headlights.

 

“I know I shouldn’t have trusted him so easily, but you should have seen the way he looked when I told him everything.  He was utterly dumbfounded. I think my mother’s been playing him for years. I may be wrong, but I think he wants to see her fall as much as we do,” Emma then looked directly to Regina, “and he gave us his blessing.  He wants to scout who Mary Margaret’s sending to stalk us, so he wants us to go out tonight. On a date.”

 

“In public?  Emma, I trust your instincts, but that’s way too risky, don’t you think?” Regina arched her brows, clearly not enthused by the idea.

 

“We’ll call your parents and tell them where we’ll be going, too.  They can send their own people. With my dad and your parents tracking us, we won’t be in any trouble for too long.”  Emma smiled and reached for Regina’s hand, “Regina Mills, will you do me the honor of going on a date with me tonight?”

 

Regina answered with a chaste kiss to Emma’s lips.

 

* * *

 

 

The restaurant they chose was small, but open enough to have a clear view of their table from every angle.  They chose it for that reason particularly, despite the conflicting feelings of relief and unease it brought them.  David was disguised as a busboy, his red hat slanted to shadow as much of his face as possible. It worked though, because the majority of the other busboys were wearing theirs in a similar fashion, so he went about unnoticed.

 

Emma could see Jones, Robin, and Graham outside one of the glass doors, trying to look inconspicuous and clearly failing.  Graham looked at her for a flash of a second, lips quirking into a smile as he gave a subtle thumbs up to show Emma he had her back.

 

When she saw a few other faces staring at her from the bus stop outside, she was certain these men were sent by the Mills.  They were too immaculately dressed to be waiting at a bus stop in this city. Instead, they were more the type to start their shiny European cars by the press of a button within fifty feet.

 

“Emma, if we’re really going to have a date, you have to relax first,” Regina cocked her head to the side, smiling.

 

“Yeah, but… everyone is out there watching us.  It’s creepy,” Emma shuddered.

 

“Look, the only ones watching us are Jones and Robin, everyone else is watching them.  And Graham’s out there, too. I’m sure he’s clever enough to get them away from here.”

 

Emma sank into her chair like a petulant teenager.  “This is not how I wanted it to be.”

 

“How you wanted what to be, dear?”

 

“Our first date.  It was supposed to be special,” Emma said, still pouting.

 

“Then let’s consider this a practice run.  At least we know it won’t be hard to beat,” Regina chuckled softly, “Come on, Emma.  Let’s just enjoy this.”

 

Emma had no resistance with Regina looking at her with so much hope and, if she wasn’t mistaken, love.

 

“Okay,” she relented, “but you have to come home with me tonight.”

 

“Are you propositioning me, Miss Swan?”

 

Emma winked, “Nah, just offering you a ride home.”

 

“Well, I don’t have a choice seeing as you’re holding me hostage at your house right now, now do I?” Regina teased playfully.

 

“I suppose not.”

 

After Emma managed to relax, the date wound up to be a great success.  They discussed everything from their favorite childhood cartoons, to their favorite movies, and what kind of food they could eat every day.  For the first time in a long while, both of them felt like normal people having normal conversations.

 

Neither Emma or Regina had noticed David beaming at them the whole night, feeling overjoyed at what he was witnessing.  Jones and Robin had left within thirty minutes of their arriva, leaving Graham behind to keep watch, which gave him plenty of time to admire his daughter’s smile as she looked at Regina.  It was a happiness she hadn’t displayed since she was an innocent child, and he knew it was something he’d have to protect now, seeing as he did a terrible job of it before, so he swore to do right by her this time.  He made a mental note to have a talk with his wife upon his return home.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma and Regina entered the cabin quietly, not wanting to disturb Ruby in case she was asleep somewhere.  After not seeing or hearing anything for several moments, they both sank into the couch, Emma sprawling her feet on the table in front of them.

 

Regina leaned forward and picked something off the table.

 

“ _ Hey guys, I’m spending the night with Graham.  Don’t have too much fun without me. Love, Ruby.” _  Regina read out loud, from the piece of paper she found next to Emma’s foot.

 

“Looks like we’ve got the whole place to ourselves for the night,” Emma said, immediately sensing the shift in the air as soon as she said the words.

 

“What should we do?  We could just call it an early night,” Regina said, clearly wanting the opposite.

 

“No, let’s polish off that apple cider and watch a good movie,” Emma suggested, knowing a movie could very well lead to cuddling, and she very much wanted to hold Regina again without a nightmare being the precursor.

 

After debating between _The Wizard of Oz_ (Regina’s choice), and _The Heat_ (Emma’s, obviously), for almost a half hour, Regina finally won the battle, and they were soon both nursing glasses of cider and sitting side by side, singing along to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

 

When the Wicked Witch appeared, Emma noticed Regina shuffling closer, regardless of the fact that there wasn’t any distance between them, and Emma hoisted her arm up and over Regina, pulling her over her chest.  Regina instantly relaxed into the embrace, resting her head on Emma’s opposite shoulder.

 

When Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tinman, Scarecrow, and Toto finally made it to Oz, Regina became restless.  She knew exactly why. Emma’s warmth was seeping in to every inch of her body, rendering her weak and needy.

 

Having had enough of the lingering eye contact and gentle embraces, Regina sat up and faced Emma, biting her bottom lip to hide a smirk.

 

Emma forgot how to breathe in that moment.  She knew that look.

 

Regina, reading Emma’s face correctly, swung her leg on Emma’s other side, effectively straddling her.  She stared into sparkling emeralds, whispering, “Is this okay?”

 

Remembering her voice, Emma managed to get out a breathy “yes” before Regina took control of her lips, easing her into a state of complete bliss.

 

The next motions happened swiftly.  Emma stood, holding Regina by her legs and walking to the bedroom, engulfed in fiery kisses the entire way.  Emma gently dropped Regina on the queen sized bed, trailing kisses down her neck. She climbed over Regina, smiling from ear to ear.

 

“You’re beautiful, Regina.”

 

Regina smiled back, unbuttoning Emma’s shirt as she hummed.  “Enough talking, Emma.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Mary Margaret!  Where are you?” David yelled, slamming the front door shut with as much force as he could.

 

After getting no answer, he stomped down the hallway to her study.  Sure enough, there she was, sitting with a cocky grin on her face.

 

“Hello, my love.  What’s wrong?” She said, her voice oozing with toxicity.

 

“You know damn well what’s wrong.  What the hell are you planning to do to our daughter?  And why the hell would you ever dare to go after a Mills directly without cause?  Have I taught you nothing of this life, Mary Margaret? You’re getting cocky. You’ve become greedy and spiteful.  I’ve seen it. And if what I’ve heard is true, your heart is as black as coal. How could you hurt her? Your own child!  She deserves better, and I will not allow you to continue this madness!” David burst. This was a long time coming, if he were honest.  His wife had been changing so much, he hardly recognized her anymore. He’d been waiting to say these things for far too long.

 

“David Nolan, how dare you!  I’m trying to protect us! How do you think it will look when word gets out to the other families that our daughter is parading around all lovey-dovey with the enemy!  She has to be dealt with or she will undo all that we’ve built. It’s all for the greater good, don’t you see?” She reached up to him, but he pushed her away, forcing her to step back a few feet.  She stared at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

 

“I don’t care, Mary Margaret!  That’s our daughter you’re planning to hurt, and I won’t allow it!  This is the end of the line. You stop what you’re doing or I walk away,” he crossed his arms, fuming with defiance.

 

“Don’t you dare threaten me when you know perfectly well you’d be sacrificing everything for a  _ nobody.” _  She spat, but David refused to submit.

 

“No, there is no greater good here.  Don’t mess with Emma, or I’ll be forced to stop you.  Fair warning, Mary Margaret.”

 

“But everything will change, David!  And we have it so good right now. We don’t need peace among the families, we need more power!”

 

“For the last time, Mary Margaret, no!” David bellowed.

 

“But she’s not even your real daughter!  She’s not worth it, David! Your constant coddling is exactly what turned her into the sensitive and stubborn snot she is today.  This was your doing, dear. I’m only fixing your mistakes,” Mary Margaret stormed out of the room, leaving David fuming.

 

“Maybe it’s about time things did change,  _ dear.” _

 

David drove to a fancy hotel that night, booked a room, and got completely drunk between the hotel’s lavish bar on the main floor, and the minibar in his suite.  His marriage was over. His only responsibility now was to protect his daughter. Regardless of what Mary Margaret felt on the subject, in the depths of his heart David knew that Emma was and always would be, his darling daughter.

 

He also knew Mary Margaret was highly underestimating Emma.  She was smarter than them and if Mary Margaret was really planning to harm her or Regina, there would be hell to pay, and it would be Mary Margaret’s price.  Emma was a force of nature, and only fools try to corrupt nature.


	9. Taken

_ Five mornings later... _

 

The sun had barely begun to greet the new day as Emma woke up, confused by the weight over her chest.  In a moment of panic, she reached for her gun on the nightstand before the previous night’s events crashed into the forefront of her mind.  Regina had spend the night in her bed again. She dropped her arm and stared at the woman that twisted her into a human pretzel.

 

Regina had her arm slung over Emma’s torso, her head resting on her shoulder, and her leg sprawled across Emma’s.  Emma smiled and scooted closer, deciding to enjoy the moment before reality came crashing back down into their lives.  It had been a quiet week, waiting for Graham to finish setting the surveillance devices, but she was sure it was only a momentary reprieve.

 

She didn’t know how long she stayed that way, still and staring at the brunette beauty clinging to her.  She sighed in contentment. She was happy to stay there forever, but knowing it was only fantasy began to shroud her in a feeling she hadn’t felt in a very, very long time.  It was fear. Not the standard shriek-at-a-spider kind of fear, but of losing something precious. Losing something that could not ever be replaced.

 

Emma realized in that very second that she was in love with Regina Mills.  Regina, on the other hand, chose that moment to wake with a start and a smack to Emma’s cheek.

 

“Geez, Regina.  Good morning to you, too,” Emma said, rubbing her cheek which was already turning red in the shape of a handprint.

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Emma!  I forgot where I was,” Regina blushed, having done that every morning she woke up with Emma.

 

“Again.  Don’t worry about it.  Makes for a good alarm clock, though,” Emma laughed.

 

“Har-har.  I’m still sorry, though.”

 

“Nah, all is forgiven, just remember not to do that tomorrow morning, too.”

 

“Tomorrow morning?  Getting rather presumptuous are, we?” Regina joked.

 

They just broke from a kiss when there was a knock at the door.

 

Confused, Emma got up and reached for her robe, “Do you think Ruby would be here this early?

 

Regina shook her head, “I know Ruby.  She won’t rise early unless she has to.”

 

“Well who the hell else could that be?” Emma walked slowly to the door as another succession of knocks sounded.  She stopped in her tracks, recognizing the rhythm of the knock.

 

_ It couldn’t be… _

 

Emma took a deep breath and opened the door.

 

Shock and excitement ran through her, along with a strange twinge of sadness.

 

“Lily.”

 

“Hi.”

 

“What are you doing here?” Emma asked, pulling her oldest friend into a hug.

 

“I wanted to visit you.  And there are some important things I need to talk to you about… if you’ll let me,” Lily’s eyes cast down to the floor.

 

“Of course, Lily, come in.”  Emma moved to the side to let Lily through, taking her bags from her as she entered the hall.

 

Emma sat the bags on the floor in the living room, motioning for Lily to take a seat.  Regina came out, then, wearing a pair of Emma’s gray baggy sweatpants and an old, loose t-shirt.  The sight made Emma forget her visitor for a moment and just smiled at the woman. She was certain Regina could wear a paper sack and still look incredible.

 

“Oh, have I come at a bad time?” Lily asked, taking in Regina’s state and Emma’s adoring stare.

 

Emma laughed, “Oh, Lily.  You know it’s always a bad time when you’re a Nolan.”

 

Lily echoed Emma’s laughter, and Regina froze at the realization of who she was staring at.  Neal’s wife.  _ Widow. _

 

“Regina, come and meet Lily.”  

 

The excitement in Emma’s voice made Regina’s hair stand on end.  Surely, if Emma ever found out why it was only Lily, and not Lily and Neal, coming to visit, it would effectively end whatever relationship they’d barely started.  But something inside her also told her she should just tell the truth. Emma seemed to appreciate honesty… how bad could it be? It was an accident, after all. Or maybe she was just listening to Ruby too much.

 

“Uh, Regina?  You in there?” Emma asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

 

Regina jumped, “Yes, yes, I’m here, sorry,” she smiled, turning to Lily.  She was a petite brunette with a radiant, large smile that she could tell was smile one formed only to conceal very deep, internal scars.  Her guilt only grew. “It’s lovely to meet you, Lily. Emma’s told me all about you.”

 

“Really?  I was sure she’d forgotten all about me,” Lily smirked at Emma, winking to let her know there was no real malice in her words.

 

Emma felt the need to explain herself, anyway, “I’m sorry, but, you have Henry and I didn’t want to risk you two being found.  I wanted to write you back, but-”

 

“I’m gonna stop you right there, champ,” Lily put her hand up and leaned forward, “I know why you did it.  And I’m thankful, really. I just wish you hadn’t. Would have been nice to hear from you. But as I can see, you’ve been busy stirring up some new trouble here,” she turned her head meaningfully to face Regina.  “Regina Mills. Tell me, how did you and Emma ever come from hating each other to sharing a bed?”

 

Emma looked at Regina, “Just consider this payback for when I met Ruby.”

 

“Fair enough.  Well, Lily, it’s actually a long story, but the short version is, her mom wants me dead,” Regina supplied.

 

“Well, I’ll want all the gory details on that later.  But first, have something really important I need to ask Emma, and I’m afraid it can’t wait,” Lily took a deep breath and went on, “I have to leave for a long time, Emma.  I joined the Navy. With my background, I’d be shoe-in for the SEALS. I just couldn’t do nothing for the rest of my life. But that means Henry needs a stable home. He is your godson, after all.”

 

“How long do you plan to be gone?” Emma asked, already bubbling over with anger.

 

“Four to six weeks for basic.  If I pass all the right criteria, I’ll be gone another two years.”

 

“That’s not how the Navy works,” Emma said.

 

“No, but you know my dad’s connections reach a long way.  And I need this, Emma.”

 

Regina watched Emma’s body tense, already anticipating the blonde’s fury.  Why Emma was so angry didn’t register with her until after Emma blew her fuse.

  
“So, let me get this right.  You want me to essentially become Henry’s mother while you go off because you’ve grown restless?  What about what Henry needs? He’s already lost his father,” Regina winced, “and now he’s going to lose his mother.”

 

“He won’t be losing me, Emma.  You know I’m good at what I do.  Why do you care so much about Henry, anyway?  It’s not like you’ve taken the time to meet him!” Lily roared back.

 

“Because if I met him, and he got attached, and then I got killed, just how would that go over for him?  Or worse, he got hurt because of me! You’re so lucky to have what you have, Lily! You got out, and now you’re going back in, you’re just doing it legally!”

 

Lily and Emma were both standing now, Regina wedged in the corner of the couch, watching the verbal blows pass lips and faces turning red with fury.

 

“You know you’d do the same thing, Emma!  It’s always been a part of us, this life, all the violence.  You thrive in it, and you know I can’t thrive without it. I can’t be a parent if I’m not happy.”

 

Emma was laughing now, reaching the stage of frustrated humor.

 

“You’re kidding, right?  It’s been a long time since you’ve known me, Lily.  I’ve been spending the last week trying to get out of this bullshit!  I need to go out and think. Regina, will you come with me?” Emma asked, needing someone to bounce her thoughts off of.

 

Regina nodded, and they both headed for the bedroom to get dressed.

 

When they reemerged, Emma turned to Lily once again.  “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere. I don’t want anyone seeing you and using you as bait against me.  So help me, as pissed as I am right now you know I’d still be stupid enough to rescue you.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So, care to tell me what that was all about?” Regina asked, hands tucked in her pockets as they walked a slow pace away from the cabin toward the woods.

 

“Lily being Lily.  I love her dearly, but she drives me mad.  She’s flaky and impulsive, and rarely shows any regard for others when she’s got her mind set on something.  It doesn’t matter if I say yes or no, Regina. Lily will leave. And I have a strange feeling in my gut that she isn’t planning on ever coming back.  So, I either agree and have a kid, or he gets passed to a stranger… or worse, he’s tossed right into the system. This is a little much considering everything that’s going on.  I can’t take care of a kid until we take care of the price on our heads,” Emma huffed, and rested her back on a tree.

 

“Are you really considering taking Henry in as your own?”

 

Emma shrugged, catching the trepidation in Regina’s eyes.  “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I know we have no label for what this is,” she motioned between the two of them, “but the truth is, I’ve already invested a lot of myself in this.  My hands are tied unless you’re on board with me.”

 

Regina moved forward, capturing Emma in an unexpected kiss.  Smiling and caressing Emma’s jawline with a perfectly manicured finger, she whispered, “I’ll board any ship with you Emma.  Besides, there’s no way you could navigate without me as your captain.”

 

“You really mean that?” Emma asked, looking deeply into brown orbs for confirmation.

 

“Emma, it’s your life.  If this is what you want in it, who am I to deny you?” Regina smiled.

 

“I’m gonna hold you to that later, you know.  Complete with a Captain’s uniform, if you catch my drift,” Emma winked, taking Regina into a soft embrace.

 

Laughing, Regina’s thoughts went back to her hair blowing into the breeze on the deck of her dad’s old boat.  “You know Daddy used to own a boat. Mother made him sell it, but I did love the old thing. He called it ‘The Queen of Hearts.’  It was his pride and joy for a while, but he couldn’t handle the maintenance anymore. And Mother hated it,” Regina said.

 

Emma had a peculiar look on her face.  Regina could see an entire internal conversation happening.  Emma finally nodded, grinning widely and taking Regina’s hand in her own.

 

“Let’s go get our boat, Captain.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lily was still sitting in the living room when they arrived, hands folded together on her lap, flashing a shy smile as Emma chose to stand at the head of the room, and Regina sit on the chair opposite Lily.

 

“I’m going to ask you a question, and I expect the truth,” Emma crossed her arms.

 

Lily nodded in understanding.

 

“You were never going to come back for Henry, were you?”

 

“How did you-”

 

“I’ve known you a long time, Lily,” Emma interrupted, “So, you’re pretty much just asking me to take Henry forever, then?”

 

Lily didn’t speak, shame blanketing her face in a crimson shell.

 

“I’ll do it.  With your father’s connections I’m sure drawing up paperwork won’t take much time.  I need to take care of my parents, and I can’t do that toting a three year old around.  So, you’ll give me as much time as I need, and when I tell you I’m ready, I’ll sign the adoption papers,”

 

“Adoption papers?”

 

“I’m not going to raise him like my own to have you reappear in his life years down the road when you’ve got whatever this is out of your system.  None of that legal guardian or temporary guardianship bullshit,” Emma explained, clearly getting more irritated. The poor kid was about to have his world turned upside down, and she wouldn’t put it past Lily to try it again in later years.  “And I want  _ you _ to explain to him why his mom won’t be around anymore.”

 

“But he’s too young to understand,” Lily argued.

 

“He’s old enough to understand you’ll be going away.  He’s old enough to hear it from you. I won’t destroy his world,” Emma paused, “Are we in agreement, then?”

 

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Lily asked, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes.

 

“This was your choice from the beginning, remember?  So my conditions stand. Take them or leave them,” Emma turned to walk into the kitchen.  She needed a drink.

 

To her surprise, there was nothing on the bar cart.  Regina came up behind Emma, “I need a drink after that, too.  You know you’d make a good lawyer.”

 

“Business suits and briefcases?  No, thank you. What happened to the liquor?” She asked, staring at the empty bottles.

 

“Oh, you know what, I hid a secret bottle of cider in your trunk.  I’ll go get it,” Regina leaned up slightly to kiss Emma’s cheek and put her hand out.  “Keys?”

 

“Want me to go with you?” Emma offered, wiggling her eyebrows.

 

“So you can distract me in the backseat?  No, you have a guest,” Regina chuckled as Emma dropped the keys to the Benz in her palm.

 

“It was worth a try,” Emma relented, instead pulling Regina in for a long kiss.

 

“I’ll hurry.”

 

“Please do.”

 

Emma walked back to the living room and sat down next to Lily.

 

“You hate me, don’t you?” Lily asked, suppressing a sob.

 

Emma let out a heavy breath, “No, I don’t hate you.  I hate what you’re doing. What you’re asking me to do.  But if you’re heart’s not in it, I can’t exactly blame you for wanting to leave.”

 

“I wish Neal was still around,” Lily said, resting her head on Emma’s shoulder.

 

“Me, too…”

 

A muffled scream pierced the air, causing Emma to jump up so fast she almost knocked Lily off the couch.  Already running out the front door, she saw her Benz speeding down the dirt road, spewing dust as it reared a corner and disappeared behind a group of trees.  Her heart dropped into her feet. She squinted, there was a figure in the distance, running quickly. It was Ruby.

 

“Emma!  Emma they took her!” Ruby yelled as she finally got within hearing distance.

 

Emma was already in motion, turning back to the cabin and running into the bedroom, opening her closet and pulling out a locked trunk.

 

Lily rushed in behind her, “What’s going on?”

 

“They took Regina.  I still have time to follow them,” Emma explained quickly, eyes roaming over the contents of her trunk.  She took the silver silencer and screwed it to the barrel of her gun, throwing extra magazine clips on the floor next to her.  She closed the trunk and set it back in the closet, this time pulling out a black leather jacket with pockets and loops lining the bottom, which she filled with the clips, settling the gun in the back waist of her jeans.  She opened a drawer, moving around socks until she pulled out a heavy hunting knife and slid it in a sheath on the inside of her jacket. She moved to the bottom drawer, pulling out small smoke bombs and throwing those in the remaining empty pockets of her jacket.

 

Ruby came rushing in, “Emma!”

 

“I know!  How many?” Emma didn’t stop moving, she was running into the garage now, opening the main door, casting light on the vehicles lined neatly facing forward toward the road.

 

“Three.  I saw Jones and Graham, and I think the other was Robin.  Why was Graham with them?”

 

“Because he was doing his job, Ruby, relax.  Has he contacted you?” Emma asked, grabbing the keys to her motorcycle.

 

“Not yet,” she answered, a frenzied look in her eyes.

 

“I’ll get her.  Don’t worry. Lily, stay here, lock up the whole place.  Go back in my trunk and arm yourself. The combination is 379058.  Ruby, did you see which way they turned at the fork?”

 

“Left.  Emma, let me come, too,” Ruby pleaded.

 

Emma straddled the bike, deciding that Ruby deserved to help.

 

“Get on,” Emma said, kicking the stand up and revving the engine.

 

As soon as Ruby’s arms were crossed over Emma’s waist, she roared off, leaving a stunned and silent Lily watching the dirt kick up behind them until they were out of sight.

 

* * *

 

 

Graham stayed quiet, not wanting to give away the emotion he was feeling at seeing his girlfriend’s best friend unconscious next to him in the backseat.  He pulled out his phone, texting blindly but hoping his message reached Ruby on time. He knew Emma would come, but she hadn’t a clue to what she was up against.

 

Jones had told him every sordid detail.  Apparently, Graham was trustworthy in his eyes.  He knew more than he was sure Emma ever had about Jones, the Nolans, and Emma herself.

 

It also explained why Emma was the target of his frustrations.  It wasn’t Emma’s fault, but Jones had decided in his mind that she was to blame for everything.  He remembered getting sick to his stomach just an hour earlier when Jones told him about what he and Robin had done to her all those years ago.  He earned a questioning glance after emptying the contents of his stomach in a nearby trash bin, but managed to pawn it off as a side-effect of the drinking he engaged in the night before.

 

He was beginning to feel emotions that his job as a private investigator never initiated in him.  He hated these men that he had to “work” with. He wanted them dead, but he decided Emma could have that privilege if she so desired it.

 

They were still speeding through the backroads when they came upon an abandoned factory in the distance.  He knew this was where Robin preferred to do his dirty work. It was far enough out of the city that sound didn’t travel to the ears of the public.

 

When they stopped and Jones and Robin got out to open the gate, Graham grabbed his phone again, sending the GPS coordinates to both Ruby and Emma’s phones.  He closed his eyes as the two men got back in the car and drove into the empty lot next to the towering building.

 

He wasn’t a man of religion, but he prayed that Emma would get there in time.  He was a skilled fighter, but he couldn’t take them all on himself. Emma was her only chance now.  He quickly crumpled up a piece of a candy wrapper in his pocket and began to quietly tear it to bits.

 

Shaking his head, he helped carry the unconscious woman into the building, being as gentle as he could be with her, careful not to knock her limbs or head on corners as they walked the stone hallways, dropping a piece of paper in every hallway they trudged along.

 

They headed downstairs, taking the elevator clear to the bottom.  Jones ordered him to drop her into the chair in the center of the room.  He did as he was told, and was thrown a heavy chain and rope and instructed to tie her up.

 

He did so, purposely missing a loop here and there in the rope so Regina could pull herself free of them if she needed to.  He stared at the chain for a moment, wondering how they were going to get Regina out of those when he saw a key on the edge of the table.  After completing his task of wrapping the brunette in the chain, he leaned his back on the table and smoothly took the key in his hand. When Jones and Robin were too distracted celebrating their victory with shots of rum, Graham put the key in Regina’s hand, closing her fingers firmly around it.

 

She began to stir at that moment, catching a glimpse of bright blue eyes as her own began to focus.  The harsh light was disorienting, a flickering of bright fluorescent bulbs above them. She didn’t have to ask what happened to her; she already knew.  She tried to move her hands, but instead felt a sharp object in her right palm. Graham quickly put his hand over hers, subtly shaking his head and pointing to the lock on her waist.

 

Realization dawned on her.  Graham had slipped her the key.  She mouthed “Emma?” to him.

 

“Coming,” he mouthed back.

 

“Ah, look who’s awake!  Let’s say hi, shall we, Robin?” Jones rounded the chair Regina was tied to, kneeling in front of her.  “I do hope you’re uncomfortable.”

 

“Fuck you,” Regina responded, spitting on his face.

 

Jones struck her in retaliation, “That’s not very respectful, is it?  Well, we’ll make that attitude change shortly. D’you think Emma will still love you if you’re not so pretty anymore?”

 

Graham almost retched again.  Instead, he stood behind Jones and Robin, looking into Regina’s eyes and mouthing, “Just hold on.”

  
_ Come on, Emma.  Please hurry _ , they both thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Good or bad thoughts on this chapter?


	10. The Hard Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, guys! Hope this chapter makes up for it. Thanks for reading!

 

 

“Emma, stop!” Ruby called loudly.  Even with the vibrations of the road zipping underneath them, her phone was pressing into her hip and she could feel it had already buzzed twice.  Instinct told her they were both from Graham. “I think Graham’s texted me!”

 

Emma slowed to a full stop, stepping off the bike as she kicked the stand back down.

 

“What did he say?”  She asked breathless, feeling her pulse.  Her heart was going a thousand beats a minute.

 

 _“‘It’s a trap.  I know you’re coming anyway, just be careful.  Guards everywhere,’”_ Ruby read aloud.  “The next one is GPS coordinates.”

 

“So they got to where they’re going,” Emma sighed.

 

“Look, it’s an old factory just outside the town line,” Ruby squinted at the photo of the old building, “It’s gated.”

 

“That won’t be a problem,” Emma said, throwing a leg around the bike and motioning for Ruby to join, “We’ll go over it.”

 

“Emma,” Ruby almost whispered, “What are you going to do when we get there?”

 

Emma stopped, frozen for a moment as a realization dawned on her, “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to save Regina.”

 

“But you don’t kill people,” Ruby countered, almost offended.

 

“I’ve never had to before,” was Emma’s simple reply, and they zoomed off toward the edge of town.

 

When the old factory was visible in the distance, Emma stopped the bike and hid it behind a cluster of bushes.

 

When Ruby looked at her in question, she explained, “The bike’s too loud, it’ll be easier if we catch them by surprise.  Hope you don’t mind the walk.”

 

Ruby shrugged, and they took off down the path, careful to avoid any open well-lit patches of road.  Luckily nature had taken over the area with reckless abandon. Trees, bushes, and waist-high grass stretched all throughout the way ahead, and if Emma was seeing correctly, the bushes and grass were just as prominent beyond the gate.  It would make for ample cover.

 

They finally reached the gate, and as Graham warned, there were guards everywhere.  Emma counted them. Four on the ground, two at the doors, and one on the riser overlooking the grounds.  It was at that moment she wished she had a bow. Taking them out silently would be almost effortless if she had brought one.  The silenced pistol and hunting knife would have to do.

 

She whispered to Ruby, “Let’s climb over over there,” she pointed to a shed a several yards away, “they won’t see us behind that.  We can move along the grass from there. Be careful, and stay low.”

 

“Stay low,” Ruby repeated, clearly overwhelmed about the task at hand.

 

Emma saw her reluctance, and offered a comforting smile, “I know this is a lot.  But Regina’s in there, in the hands of…” she choked for a moment, “Jones and Robin.  I’d rather kill all these men here than let her get hurt by those bastards. Are you with me?”

 

Ruby nodded, “I’m with you.”

 

“Let’s do this, then.”

 

Emma scaled the fence with no issue, while Ruby looked like she might topple over a few times, but she managed to make it safely to the other side.  Emma was having a hard time not finding amusement in Ruby’s lack of dexterity.

 

Where they were crouching behind the shed, Emma could see two guards to her left posted by the main entrance of the gate, and to her right were the two guards patrolling the back of the building.  Good thing for Emma, both areas were overgrown with vegetation. She was suddenly very grateful for all the rain they’d had lately.

 

“Ruby,” she whispered, putting her forefinger to her mouth as Ruby was about to speak.  “We need to be really quiet. We’re going to take out those guards in the back first.”

 

“Why can’t we just go through the front?”  Ruby asked. Emma almost laughed. The training for private investigators clearly wasn’t the same as tactical assault training from a crime family.  She thanked David silently for teaching her everything he taught her.

 

“There’s a guard up high there, and two more at the main door.  If we do this right, we can go through the back without needing to deal with them.  Now, stay close behind me. Move quietly.”

 

Ruby nodded without another word, her hair bouncing around her face, and Emma shook her head.  She reached in her pocket and pulled out two hair elastics and handed one to Ruby. After getting their hair back in control, they crept along the edge of the fence until one of the guards, dressed in all black and carrying an automatic rifle, was a few feet away from them.

 

Emma turned and nodded to Ruby, who nodded in return, not understanding the silent communication until Emma was already grappling at the unknown man; her arms were crossed over his neck in a chokehold, and she held him low to the ground until he went limp, and she eased him onto the ground gently and pulled him into a thick, tall bush.

 

“Is he dead?”

 

“No.  Just one hell of a nap.”

 

Emma surveyed their surroundings.  The unconscious guard was hidden safely in the bush, the guard across the yard oblivious to the two women lurking in the shadows.

 

Moving forward, Emma got just behind the other guard when she noticed one of the guards from the gate coming in their direction.  Quickly rolling under some brush, she held her breath as the two men began talking.

 

“Where did Davis go?  Wasn’t he just here?” one of them asked.

 

“He was, but who knows?  Probably taking a piss in the bushes.  Whatever. You know what, Luke? This assignment is shit, anyway,” the other guard responded, kicking the grass around his legs.

 

“Look, Roberts.  All I know is, I don’t want to be around when the Mills come around for their daughter.  Those two are so over their heads. I’m starting to think they have a death wish,” Luke replied, shaking his head.

 

“Then why are you here?”

 

“Same as you.  The paycheck,” Luke laughed, with Roberts high-fiving him.

 

Emma needed to get rid of one of them.  She knew Ruby wasn’t going to lay a hand on any one of these men, and she needed to get to Regina fast.  This was taking too much time, and she was growing so impatient she was almost trembling.

 

Before she could formulate a plan, Ruby shifted and stepped right on a dry branch, sending a rippling crack through the otherwise quiet breeze.

 

Both of the guards drew their weapons and turned to face the source of the sound when Emma pulled a smoke bomb out of her jacket pocket, disengaging the pin and throwing it between the men as they shouted in unison, “Backup!  Perimeter breach, hostiles inside!”

 

The smoke expanded around them like a cloud, obstructing the view of everything but shadows.  Emma squinted, and saw the guard named Luke pointing his rifle directly at Ruby’s stomach.

 

“Fuck!” Emma shouted, lunging forward and swinging her arm up at Luke’s face, emitting a sickening crunch as she broke his nose.  He staggered back, and even in the haze he made eye contact with her, and adjusted his rifle at her head.

 

Without warning, Emma turned, ducking down as she went, swinging her leg out, purposely catching Ruby’s foot and knocking them both down at the same time as Luke began firing.

 

Luckily, each shot missed.  Before celebrating, however, Emma realized enough time had passed for all the guards to have assembled around them, and she threw another smoke bomb ten feet in front of her, instructed Ruby to stay down, pulled her hunting knife from the inside of her jacket and began moving through the fog.

 

“I can’t see them!” one of the guards yelled, and Emma moved in the direction of his voice.  Taking a deep breath and reminding herself why she was doing this, she exhaled as she drove the knife into the man’s neck, blood spurting as she extracted the knife and he fell to the ground with a thump.

 

Two guards were on her as soon as she turned around.  The fog was lifting slightly, and she could make out two dark figures circling her.  Clearly, they had no idea how to approach her, and she took this to her immediate advantage.  As one took run at her, she threw her knife and it whizzed past the hand he raised to block it and the blade connected directly with his forehead.

 

She turned to the other guard who was now standing in shock, and she drew the handgun from her waist and pointed it at him before he could react.

 

“Drop it or I’ll drop you,” Emma said slowly, moving toward him.  She felt her heart may break free from her ribcage and she wanted to be sick thinking about the two men that now lay dead at her hand, but she needed to get to Regina.

 

Regina.  Would Regina understand what she had to do?

 

The guard stood still for a moment, and then a shot burst through the air.

 

A gut-wrenching scream rang in Emma’s ears and she scanned the grounds around her for the source.  Her eyes fell on Ruby, who was gripping her shoulder, blood seeping into the shirt surrounding her hand.

 

Emma ran to her, ducking gunfire, and slung Ruby over her shoulder, running to the same shed they came from before.  Emma zipped off her jacket quickly, tearing the shirt she was wearing off over her head and ponytail. She ripped the shirt into strips with ease, and wrapped them around Ruby’s wounded shoulder in a tight makeshift tourniquet.

 

“If that loosens, let me know.  We’ll have to re-wrap it,” Emma explained quietly.  She could hear the guards closing in on them. “I’ll be back for you.  Stay here. Don’t move.”

 

She pulled her jacket back on again, and pulled out the last smoke bomb she had.  Without another thought, she threw it out where she saw the grass parting for boots.  She ran to the fallen guard impaled by her knife, and pulled it out of his face with more required effort than she anticipated.  After tucking it back in its sheath, she turned and surveyed the remaining guards to come up with a strategy on how to take them down swiftly and quietly.

 

It was quick, the way she moved through them.  If it was just good training, natural talent, or even enjoyment, Ruby wasn’t sure.  But even through the pain in her shoulder, she was captivated by the methodical finesse Emma possessed as she swiftly cut each one down.

 

The first guard made it easy.  He began blind firing through the fog, which gave Emma the perfect chance to jump him from behind and drop to the ground with her arms around his neck, effectively breaking it.

 

The second put up a good fight, and had even managed to knock the gun out of Emma’s hand.  Emma scrambled to the side to retrieve it, and in the nick of time, aimed the barrel at his chest and fired.

 

The last two guards tried to ambush her, but Emma just weaved through them, causing them to fire at each other in their haste and confusion.

 

“Jesus Christ!  Are you sure you’ve never killed anyone before?”  Ruby said, bewildered.

 

Emma looked around her.   _I bet they had families,_ she thought to herself.  She wasn’t proud of it, but she was here to save Regina, she had to remind herself.

 

“Not all of them are dead…  Just most of them. Listen, we need to get inside.  Are you okay to move?” Emma asked, bending down to help Ruby up.

 

“Yeah, it’s not too bad.  I mean, it fucking hurts, but it’s not fatal.  How many more of them will be inside?”

 

“I don’t know.  I don’t think the rest will be as heavily guarded.  They’re cocky. They probably don’t think I could have made it in without being captured by one of these goons.”  Emma walked slowly toward the front door as Ruby staggered close behind her.

 

“What happened to your whole ‘sneak-in-the-back’ plan?” Ruby laughed.

 

Emma stared at her, head tilted.  “You’re going to joke now?”

 

“Right.  Sorry. Let’s go,” Ruby muttered, head down.

 

Emma chuckled.  “Chin up, champ.  Can’t have you running into walls.”

 

Ruby perked up again, and Emma led the way silently through the main corridor.  There were signs to an elevator, and a complete map of the area on the wall adjacent to the entrance.   Emma was reading it to figure out where they needed to go when a pair of footsteps caused both women to freeze.

 

Drawing her gun up, Emma waited for the footsteps to come closer, then she rounded the edge of the hall when they were right next to her.

 

“Whoa!” Graham shot his arms up in surprise, and Emma lowered her weapon with a sigh of relief.  “Ruby! What happened?”

 

“The guards outside.  Safe to say they’re worse off than I am,” Ruby told him as he inspected her shoulder.

 

“Look, we haven’t got much time and there’s a lot you need to know-” Graham started, but Emma stopped him before he cold finish.

 

“Where is Regina?”

 

“She’s being kept in the last room on the basement floor, but you really should listen to me-”

 

“Look, whatever it is, it’s not as important as Regina’s safety.  Will it help me save her?” she paused for a moment and Graham shook his head, “Then we save her and talk later.  Okay?” Emma continued, quickly losing her patience. She didn’t know what Jones and Robin were doing to Regina. She had to act quickly.

 

“Emma, they’re unpredictable.  This wasn’t called on the Nolan’s orders.  I heard Jones saying something about how angry David would be about all this,” Graham noted.

 

Emma thought for a moment, remembering the tender exchange they shared the last time she saw her dad.  She frowned, shaking her head, “No, I don’t think they do anything on David’s orders. It’s all Mary Margaret.  She’s orchestrated this. She’s just cruel enough.”

 

Emma began walking, and Graham whispered to both Ruby and Emma, “Follow the candy wrappers.”

 

“Thanks, Hansel,” Emma quipped, smiling back.  It was almost a shame they didn’t really need to use them since Graham was sneaking about with them.  “Aren’t you worried about blowing your cover?”

 

“No.  The cameras and voice recorders are set and I have access to an exclusive feed that’s impenetrable and always recording.  If I blow my cover, my job is still done. Besides, I think all the guards were outside.”

 

“You’re brilliant,” Ruby beamed, still impressed at the way he could handle himself the way he did under all the pressure.  She nearly peed herself hiding from the guards outside.

 

Emma was already making her way down the corridor, passing the hallways and edging along the path Graham had left before she stopped at the elevator.  It was open, but protected by a wooden gate and mesh fencing to prevent any falling. A control panel sat in the center of it.

 

“Well, here we go,” Emma said as she pressed the button for the basement.  Ruby and Graham looked grim. Emma wasn’t afraid, though. She was angry. Regina was innocent in all of this, and making her the target because she happened to be the one person she truly loved only fueled her fury.  Mary Margaret would pay for this too, she decided.

 

When they got to the bottom, she immediately heard voices in the hall.  They were coming from outside the last room. Emma and Ruby quickly hid behind a wall.

 

“How much longer do you think it’ll take for Swan to get here?”

 

That was Jones’ voice.

 

“If what we know is true, and Emma loves her, she’ll stop at nothing to play hero.  You have to admit, there is some genius to this whole plan.”

 

And that was Robin’s,

 

Emma let out heavy breath and was grateful Regina was away from them, for now.

 

“Yeah, just don’t let her get the drop on you,” Jones added.

 

Robin laughed, holding his stomach, “Yeah, right.  Like she could ever get the best of me.”

 

Emma was tempted to shoot him right there.  Deciding against it, she moved to get a view of the two men instead.  Seeing the door, she realized there was no way she could sneak past them.  She looked to Graham and pointed her head in their direction.

 

Catching her signal, Graham stepped out and greeted the men, intent on distracting them.

 

“Welcome back, mate!” Jones shouted.

 

“How are the guards?”  Robin asked.

 

Graham swallowed.  “They’re fine. No sign of them yet.  We’ll know when they get here.”

 

“Alright, then,” Jones reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a flask.  He took a long swig of it and offered it to Robin, who did the same.

 

Robin shuddered, the burn of rum shaking him from the inside out.  “Let’s go have some fun.”

 

“You go get ready.  I’ve got to pee.”

 

Robin nodded and moved to the door where Regina was.  

 

Where Regina was waiting for Emma to save her.

 

As soon as Jones turned the corner to go to the bathroom, Emma began walking toward the room with the black door Robin just entered.  He hadn’t closed it completely.

 

Emma crouched beside the door, peering in through the slight crack.  She couldn’t make out much, but she could see a shape moving around. It was only when she heard a piercing scream that she put all caution aside and all but dove into the room.

 

Robin was standing above Regina, who was tied to a chair with not only a rope, but a chain was wrapped around her, too.  Emma came up behind Robin, pulling him down to the ground, landing on top of her with a thud. She caught a glimpse of blood on the knife in his hand, and in that moment he elbowed her in chest, knocking the air out of her lungs.

 

Gasping for breath, she staggered as she stood back up.  Robin was standing next to Regina again, smirking.

 

“Emma!” Regina gasped, finally making eye contact with her hero.

 

Her savior.

 

“Hey you,” Emma smiled, not missing the smirk on Robin’s face growing as Emma saw the gash on Regina’s upper lip.  He reached his hand around Regina’s neck and held his knife to it. Emma stared him down for a moment, realizing she didn’t have enough time to pull her gun before Robin could kill Regina.

 

“You’re predictable Emma.  That’s your downfall. Just give up now,” he said.

 

“I’m not as predictable as you think, asshole,” finally returning his smirk, she turned her attention to Regina, “Tip over!  Now!”

 

Emma rolled to her side, watching as Regina did as she was told and landed sideways still tied to the chair.  She watched, confused fora brief moment as Regina undid her ties with no effort, even unlocking the chains with a key in her own hand.

 

Robin, not having expected the shuffle, moved back momentarily to sidestep Regina and faced Emma with a menacing growl.  He didn’t catch Regina springing free of the chair so when her foot connected with his back and shot him forward into the table standing between Emma and himself, he thrashed about wildly, throwing the table and anything within his reach around the room in a blind fury.

 

Dodging the objects, Emma made her way so she was positioned between Robin and Regina, her knife already pointed at the man, ready in her shaking hand.

 

“You really have it in you to kill me?” Robin scowled.

 

Emma inclined her head toward the windows, “Why don’t you ask your guards out there.  And they did far less to me than you have.”

 

Robin thought about this for a moment, catching a dark shadow cross Emma’s eyes.  She would kill him, absolutely, he realized.

 

Instead of running, he faked a turn, trying to divert Emma’s attention, but dove directly at Emma instead.  She had thought he’d do as much, and latched on to him and rolled him onto his stomach. Regina was knocked back from the force of their contact, and connected firmly with the wall, momentarily stealing her breath and dropping her to her knees.

 

Catching a glimpse of Regina pale and breathless on the floor, Emma left Robin where he lay and moved to check on her girlfriend.

 

“Regina!  Are you alright?  Did I hurt you?”

 

Before Regina could respond, Emma saw the reflection of Robin standing behind her in Regina’s eyes.

 

She felt a sharp pain split through the side of her face, and everything sounded like a badly tuned radio, hissing, buzzing, and crackling through her ears.  For a second, she knelt over, thinking she was about to be sick, but the echoes faded and she turned to see Robin holding his gun to Regina, who was still kneeling on the floor beneath him.

 

He smiled, looking over to Emma, proud of finally getting the best of her, she assumed.

 

“Should I kill her first?  Or you? Or we could have some fun first, if you’d prefer,” he motioned to his pants, and Emma only saw red.

 

Making a split-second, irrational, and completely irresponsible decision, Emma slipped her hand behind her back and folded her fingers on the grip of her pistol.  If she was quick, she could drop him before he pulled the trigger on Regina. If she hesitated or missed, they’d all wind up dead.

 

Taking a steadying breath, Emma closed her eyes for a second, and then brought them up to Regina.  Regina almost smiled, as if she knew exactly what Emma was planning. It made Emma feel brave. And lucky.

 

She swung her arm out when Robin began to fake a yawn, and with the stifled thump of the barrel, Robin opened his eyes widely and clasped his hands over the center of his chest.  It was a direct hit to the heart, and he fell to the ground, and with one final gasp, he said “Congratulations, Emma. You’re... a true... killer now. Feels... good... doesn’t… it...”

 

A chill shot down Emma’s spine.  She knew it was supposed to get under her skin and shake her.  But the worst of it was that all of it was true. Her hands were covered in blood now, both literally and figuratively.  That wasn’t a pleasant feeling. She shivered.

 

“Emma?” Regina asked, walking to her slowly.

 

“I’m fine.  Robin was going to hurt us.  I had to do it,” she said, almost robotically.

 

“Robin deserved a lot more than that, Emma.  But are you okay?” Regina implored, sensing Emma’s imminent guilt and grief.

 

“I… I don’t know.  I don’t feel right, but this is a life-or-death situation we’re in, right?  Probably just circumstance or something. I’d feel a lot better if we got out of here, though,” Emma said, nodding to Robin’s body by their feet.

 

Both went for the door, and after finding their way back to the elevator they saw Ruby and Graham gagged and cuffed to the railing.

 

Emma wasted no time, pulling the knife once again and cutting them loose.  

 

“Now where do you think you’re going, love?”

 

All four of them froze, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to.

 

Emma didn’t stay still for long, suddenly not having much in the way of fear, she turned and walked directly to Jones, who was smirking and laughing quietly.

 

“What is your endgame here?  I mean, I’m all for a good game of cat and mouse, but really?  What are you and Mary Margaret playing at?” She folded her arms, refusing to show any vulnerability.

 

“Oh, dear Emma.  You should have listened to Graham.  I assume he tried to tell you, but in your rush to save your beloved, you ignored him.  If you hadn’t, you’d already know what this is about,” Jones stepped closer, directly into Emma’s space.  She didn’t back away.

 

“What is this about, then?”

 

“You.  Always you.  The darling Emma Nolan.  Or now we say Emma _Swan_ .  The one daddy dotes on, and mommy merely _pretends to tolerate_.  You are a nobody, Swan.  Always have been. You came from nothing, in the middle of nowhere,” he saw Emma’s eyes flash in confusion, then puffed out his chest to say the next part, “I, however, come from everything you believe you’re entitled to.  I am the true Nolan heir. You were merely a consolation prize, love.”

 

Emma stepped back for a moment.  She only managed to get more questions than answers.  She felt like screaming, but held it down.. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

 

“You haven’t figured it out by now?  I’m Mary Margaret’s son. And you… Well, you are the abandoned child that David begged Mary Margaret to let them keep.  You’re just the family pet, but I’m the family,” he sneered, then began laughing.

 

Emma knew he was telling the truth.  It all fit. She really had been living a lie her entire life.

 

She turned to Regina, who was staring wide-eyed and mouth agape, and flashed a smile at her.

 

“I love you,” she said quietly, and Regina’s eyes changed to fear.  Emma hadn’t said those words to her before, but it was the brilliant smile directed at her that deeply unsettled her.

 

Emma turned back to Jones, “Let them go and I’ll come willingly.  It’s me you want anyway, and you know you can’t take me armed.”

 

Jones considered his options for a moment, then nodded.  “If they send the cops or come back for you, they’re dead.  Are we clear?”

 

Reluctantly, Ruby and Graham nodded, and Regina just stared blankly.

 

Emma watched as Ruby whispered something to Regina, and she eventually nodded after a few seconds.

 

“I love you, too, Emma,” she heard as she handed her weapons over to Jones and let him tie her hands together.  He led her back down the hallway to the room where Robin’s lifeless body still lay, and Emma could have sworn she heard a choked sob as the door closed behind them.


End file.
